_{in collaboration with [@Meiyuiki] and @Fetzen}



Lorelai cast one last glance at Elizabeth's sleeping form as she carefully closed the door behind her, locking it for the woman's privacy. Sousiel would be around soon to deposit a change of clothes to replace the one's her mistress had ruined. She wondered why makeup sex was so... satisfying. It probably had something to do with reclaiming what you thought you might have lost, or maybe it was just the natural reward for couples with the tenacity to resolve their differences as opposed to letting them fester.

Whatever the reason, her time with Liz had put a smile on her face and a youthful spring in her step. She hummed to herself as she strode towards her office in the castle proper, drawing strange looks from passing witches who were unaccustomed to seeing the old witch is such a cheerful mood. She smiled to them each in turn, deepening the concern lining their faces. With a chuckle she pushed the door to her office open and stepped inside.

A snap of her fingers lit the feylights lining her office, their glow supplementing the last rays of the sun filtering in from her window. She flopped into the large armchair behind her desk with a content sigh. "I should waste this entire day." She said to the empty room.

"I could do it too, just think about Liz for the rest of the evening, maybe take a nap." She giggled to herself. Sitting up she elected to be productive, against her better sense, and began sorting through the requisitions and inventory sheets she'd requested the night previous.

"I should send Saen to the Altmeri, they have griffons and could make aerial deliveries in a pinch." She mused to the empty room. Seeing as it had no objections to the idea she marked it down on her to-do list. Elizabeth would face enough adversity attempting to lead witches to war, everything she did was another thing the huntress didn't have to. She hummed happily as she continued her work.

Being together with Triss was a refreshing thing, and what they had done behind the door he had closed made him confident that there wouldn't be any annoying interruptions coming from the cohabitor in his head. According to statistics so far, a happy demon worm was a more silent demon worm. It hadn't been Triss' magic power that had made him happy, but unfortunately the progress of time was a relentless entity. Having put on a fresh set of clothes, Andri made a second attempt to meet Lorelai in her office with Triss walking next to him. He knocked the door gently. "Lorelai ? Are you in there ?"

"Andri? Yes, come in." Lorelai called from the confines of her office.

Triss had been bouncing through the halls during their short trip to Lorelai's office, her heart swelling unnaturally. She was happy to have acquired Andri's friendship, even if it meant breaking the normal bounds. When Lorelai called for them, Triss pushed open the door and smiled. She waved at Lorelai, before skipping over to take her seat at one of the chairs in front of Lorelai's desk. She was going to milk this feeling for as long as it lasted, and then go back to her usual dark moods. ”Hello, Lorelai.”

"Hello Triss." Lorelai replied cheerfully, masking her suspiciouns as her eyes went between the two of them. They settled on Andri. "Glad to see you've made a friend Andri, please, have a seat."

Andri could see how happy Triss was. He didn't bounce like her, but a smile was cast on his face that didn't go away even after he had entered Lorelai's office. The hunter grinned internally when she started to talk about friendship. How long would it take for her to find out how far things had already progressed between him and Triss ? He grabbed a seat and placed it in front of her desk, but not perfectly aligned towards it. It was a compromise that allowed him to see both Lorelai and Triss at the same time and he glanced towards her to check for her feelings. It was the office of the witch that had spoken out a death sentence...

"Hello Lorelai. Do you have time ? There are two things I'd like to talk about. One's more important and one less."

Triss’ head bobbed quickly, surprised to see the old witch was also rather merry today. ”Andri's my first official patient, I've had quite the blast with him.” There were no undertones that could imply anything, her voice was simply chipper. ”I'm glad I got my hands on him, he works well.”

"I'm pleased Triss." Her suspiciouns vanished at the simple explanation from the red-headed witch. She turned her attention towards the giant. "I certainly hope he works well, I've much work for him to do. First though, you had things you'd like to talk about. Go on Andri."

I.. work well ? Andri didn't know how to react properly to that as he was afraid of a wrong answer that could indicate the wrong thing. However his doubts tore open a noticeable gap in his speech. With a faintly more reddish skin color than before, he continued the dialogue.
"Before I've totally intoxicated myself last evening... erm... you were talking about having some sort of plan to minimize the casualties on both sides. I hope that it's understandable why I'm asking this: What do these plans look like ?" The major part of him expected to hit a wall right here, right now. The remaining part had some hope, mainly kept alive by the apparently very good mood Lorelai was in. However his doubts were on the winning side, controlling his facial expression.

"Yes, my plan." Lorelai sighed, she wasn't entirely happy with her 'plan', but it was all she had. "My plan, Andri, is fear. We both know they won't turn back unless they feel it's hopeless, until we threaten them with annihilation."

"So the plan, is to demoralize them through this war." Lorelai said grimmly. "And when their hearts are wounded, threaten them with the Plague Lord, and a million deaths to come unless they turn back, and never speak of our home again."

"Should that plan fail, the only thing left will be to destroy them utterly." She locked eyes with the giant, letting him see the steel in her soul. "Not something I savor, but not something I'll hesitate in doing should the need come."

The assassin tried to withstand Lorelai's stare into his eyes, but if she had been able to see beyond his pupils, the witch would have seen another black hole as it collapsed into an infinitesimal volume. That was his confidence. He broke eye contact with her, grasping for alternative solutions he could throw at her in order to spoil this plan of hers, but... He couldn't come up with any real thing. Elizabeth herself had already tried to make peace by returning to the hunters and he knew far too well how this had ended, so that option was already dead. Repeating what Rebecca had told him and what had triggered him to make all these efforts to begin with wouldn't help either, or would it ? He had to try, in another variant.

Slowly and cratered with shakiness, he gave a reply: "The hunter's don't yet know what's at stake. You remember what Rebecca said ? Both sides will be required. We could make one last attempt to convince them to abort this hunt by telling them. I could make this last attempt!" I don't believe what I'm listening to! You're trying to embark me on a suicide mission! I am aware of the risks, Khan! And I'm counting on you!

Triss had been gleefully picking at the fabric on the arm of the chair, ignoring most of the conversation. She would have been content, until Andri volunteered to go on a suicide mission. Her head snapped to him, her eyes trying to go hard but failing. She couldn't hide her hurt, try as she might. ”Andri you can't! The moment you step foot in that town you'll be shot down, in their eyes you're nothing more than a traitor. You can't leave, we discussed this.”

Of course, when they had discussed it before it was more of a talk about his sex drive than anything, but she still wouldn't let him leave. She turned to Lorelai, her eyes pleading for her to tell him no. ”Lorelai, you aren't going to let him, are you? I thought it had already been decided that offerings of peace were futile? If you let him go you are signing off on his death.”

"Of course not, I'm not going to waste a life that simply." Lorelai smiled at Triss briefly. "Andri's earned a better end that dying uselessly."

"Andri, you've gone to great lengths to discredit yourself amongst the hunters of Seren's Folly." Lorelai returned her gaze to Andri's eyes. "They'd more likely believe me than you."

She sighed and retrieved a small wooden pipe from one of her desk's drawers. She breathed lightly over its top, smiling in satisfaction as the tabacco burned. She puffed lightly at it before speaking up again. "The only way I can see this working, Andri, is to make them think all hope is lost, frighten them with the next Black Plague, and then to offer a way out."

"That's just the best I can manage right now, and we'll both have to be satisfied with it." She offered the lit pipe to Andri. "No matter how much we both wish things were different."

Both Triss and Lorelai were verbally trying to force him to abandon his idea. For a very brief moment, he hatched the plan of pulling this off on his own and in secrecy. But what if he really died ? Triss was already hurt. What would she think about him when he did this ? And what would Liz think ? He killed the idea, but just as he did and as he gave Lorelai's words a second pass through his mind, another one was born. A modification that would possibly reduce the risk.

He latched his view onto the pipe Lorelai handed him. The burning stuff he couldn't clearly identify beneath the smoke and the layer of ash that had started forming on top of it reminded him of his own past as a simple peasant. He had tried some weeds back then as they had been just waiting for him to pick them up here and there along their property, but these were times long gone. He gently pulled the pipe out of the witch's hand, assuming that it was simple tobacco, and put it into his mouth for a single breath to begin with. It made his next sentence being littered with interrupting coughs. "What if I don't go there to talk to them, but just to leave something behind? We could write a message to them onto a large piece of parchment or even enscribe it onto some kind of plate. Positioned at the right place, many would read it, and those who are unsure about things would perhaps be triggered to think twice about the war."

Triss frowned, wanting to wrench the pipe from Andri's hands. Instead, she placed her hand on his back, rubbing it gently to ease him through his coughing fits. He was a drinker, and a smoker? She couldn't have picked a more troublesome pet. Then again, she was troublesome too, but that was unimportant. ”And how would you sneak such a large object in, Andri? Don't be daft, I bet they have guards positioned now to prevent unwelcomed visitors.”

”Lorelai's plan is just as well, and I doubt anyone would turn away because of some sign left at their doorstep. They are passionate about their cause, words will not change anything.” Triss huffed, shooting Lorelai another look that clearly stated fix this, now.

Lorelai rolled her eyes at the red-headed witch. "I like your plan Andri, it has some merits." She retrieved her pipe from the coughing giant, drawing deeply from it before continuing. "Why don't you let me consider it? I don't think now's a good time, but perhaps as they draw closer to the castle something to that effect could cause them to think. We might plant the truth in their minds and let it fester, and when the time is right we'll see how it turned up."

She lazily blew several smoke rings, already considering what such a plate might say. "For now though, I urge you to put this aside, and focus instead on less suicidal recourses. Elizabeth will be my general, the announcement comes tomorrow. You may wish to talk to her about how best to use your considerable talents on the behalf of your new home."

Andri couldn't see Triss' frowning, but very well feel her hand resting on his back. He had to resist looking too relieved when Lorelai removed the pipe from his hand - smoking was a thing he had done for a time too short and too far away for being used to. Given that he could sometimes be a brutal heavy drinker, it was better this way he thought. "A message about a Plague Lord would have to reach them too, wouldn't it ?" This wasn't meant as an objection, but as a confirmation. However it also reminded him that once the time would have come, it could easily descend into just that instead of his idea of an appeal for reconsidering things.

"Liz will be the general ?" His face brightened instantly, though only moderately. "I guess a former huntress is the ideal person to work together with an ex hunter, heh ? And... considerable talents ? So far I've been more of a diplomat than anything else." He wondered if that was what Lorelai was actually referring to.

Triss looked stung, the hand resting on Andri's back balling up into a hard fist. So much for Lorelai helping, at least she wouldn't send him directly to Seren's Folly. She didn't have any real reason to be mad at Lorelai, they were hardly anything more than acquaintances. Triss retreated within herself, putting on a crazed smile to hide her concern. Slowly she dived into the insanity, thinking of how she could twist the poor minds of souls who dare enter her line of sight. It was a pleasurable experience, and it kept her distracted, her eyes glazing over.

"I presume you're good at killing?" Lorelai asked point blank. "You are a hunter after all."

She looked at Triss for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing as she noted her glazed eyes. The smile that curved her lips was all too familiar from their previous, and unforunate interactions. "Triss? Are you alright?"

Lorelai's second question preempted his own thoughts. That hand he had felt transforming into a fist couldn't be a good thing, so he turned his head around to look at Triss. Her glassy eyes concerned him, and so did the rest of her expression. "Hey Triss, what I'm talking about here is just an idea. Even that pervy demon in my head argumented against it so I won't do it unless I'm asked to, okay ?"

Terrible screams filled her mind, half-dead men and women dancing along with happiness as they moaned out in pain. She stood among it all, the sounds of their cries making her victorious at last. It took a moment for Lorelai's words to break through, and when they did nothing changed. Triss stared at her, an eyebrow cocked.

”Of course, just entertaining myself. This conversation bores me to no end. Don't you two have something else to discuss, of lesser importance?” Her smile had never left her face, her eyes never quite clearing. She itched, but she would never tell them that, not unless she was strapped down to that damned chair again. When Andri addressed her she nodded, but gave him no words to go off.

Andri blinked. He was stunned by Triss' reaction that had come totally unexpected for him. It was clear that she was very annoyed, but the way she pointed that out was such that it made him shiver and want to turn his attention back to other things.

The assassin memorized what Lorelai's other question had been about. He turned towards her to begin his answer, but couldn't help but redirect his view towards Triss here and then in between while speaking. "I have... had... barely left my apprenticeship. What I know so far is primarily due to the training I've received in a secret forces unit of the military and due to the talents I might or might not posess." Andri sighed. "What I've experienced over the course of the last weeks has left me behind unsure about if that will suffice, especially since I'll have to hunt hunters now." That was the worst part of it all, and one could see in his face that just speaking about it did hurt him to the bone.

Lorelai frowned, slightly dissapointed. Still, there were plenty of uses for a teleporter, and the man could be trained furter. [color=00aeef]"Very well, I'll leave it to Elizabeth to find out how to best use your talents."[color] She smiled and looked between the two. "With that I think we're finished here aren't we? I suggest you two enjoy the rest of your evening, and make sure you're at the meeting tomorrow morning." Another hunter forced to kill his fellows, and Lorelai had the same answer to him she'd had for Elizabeth. Nothing, but at least Elizabeth had her heart as a reward.

"Wait..." He sighed again. From his point of view the entire topic was far from finished, but it was finished for the moment. "There's another thing, the less important one I've told you about. You promised me something for rescuing Liz. I'm just curious to know what that will be."

"A fine set of nightstalker hide armor, complete with some enchantments I'll place on it later tonight." Lorelai smiled at the giant. "You protected mine, so I thought something to protect you would be an appropriate gesture."

Nightstalker ? I know that! I hope it will fit tightly. Your butt could use a bit more accentuation...
Andri rolled his eyes in an act of irritation before he noticed that this could easily be misinterpreted. "Sorry. It's just Khan thinking that it should be really tight..." The tone in his words made clear that he didn't approve that idea, but the demon worm started laughing. "I'm afraid that it won't be long until such a thing will be put to the test. I don't know what Nightstalkers are, but I think I should thank you for it." he added, trying to return to a more adequate expression.

Triss felt certain that the conversation of war was mainly over, pushed aside so they could enjoy the rest of their day. She knew just what she wanted to do to enjoy herself. She was shivering with excitement, leaping out of her chair and clutching it's back with white knuckles. If one were really paying attention, they would see the outer rims of her eyes taking up a faint green hue.

”I know just how I'll be spending the rest of my evening.” She said, her words sparking her into a giggling fit. Once it was over, she took the few long bounds out the door, shutting it roughly behind her and escaping down the halls. She needed a victim, someone who wouldn't resist until it was too late.

"We'll see how tight we can get it." Lorelai laughed. Her mirth turned to concern as Triss bounded out of the room like the madwoman she suspected the girl might be. "Sousiel, keep an eye on Triss would you?

"If you would though Andri, I've got quite a bit yet to do before sleep takes me. Try to enjoy yourself, and stay safe alright?" Lorelai offered the giant a small smile before returning to her work.

Triss sudden move into action left the hunter behind being puzzled. The look he shot at Lorelai was like What the hell is wrong with her ?, but he didn't dare to truly ask. Lorelai seemed very busy, but his happy day was over the moment Triss slammed the door shut. With a bit of confusion in his voice and an attempted smile he took his leave: "Okay, thanks for your time. Will you notify me when the armor's finished or shall I return here ?"

"I should have it ready by the meeting tomorrow, if you'd stay behind I'd gladly gift it to you then." Lorelai looked up from her work for a moment. "That would also be a good time to check in with Elizabeth for what she'll have you doing over this course of this mess. As with any luck, she'll be busy tonight." She favored the giant with a small wink.

---

Most witches in the halls ignored Triss, refusing to meet her gaze. At this point she was more than a few screws loose, and anyone could tell. Her giggles and faintly glowing eyes were a sure sign of this. Triss couldn't stop though, not until her wishes could be fulfilled. Those who would turn towards her were not prime subjects, older witches who could put up rough defensive walls.

Triss had almost given up hope, until she collided with the perfect target. Triss growled, until she met eyes with the girl she had bumped against. They were the same mismatched pair that had given her such a rude awakening. ”Sousiel? You're perfect, come with me.” She wasted no time, clutching Sousiel's arm and attempting to pull her towards the hall of rooms.

"Triss!" Sousiel feigned shock. The red-headed witch was far crazier than Lorelai had seemed to think if the burning eyes, frantic gait, and her sudden joy at seeing her were any indication. "There's my maidenhood to consider!" False protest aside she allowed herself to be drug towards the dormitories. Perhaps being abused by Triss would be an enjoyable distraction, given that Lorelai was too busy to do it properly at the moment.

Triss looked straight ahead as Sousiel protested, not caring in the slightest. She only paused when Sousiel brought up her maidenhood, and that was to double over hysterics. When she looked back up, she cocked an eyebrow at Sousiel and shook her head. ”Sousiel, I'm insane, not a fool. Maidens would not suggest anything quite like you did last night.”

When they got to the dorms, Triss opened the door to her room and gave Sousiel a rough shove to get her inside. She turned around, locking her door and sighing in relief. ”Sousiel, I chose you because you are far from normal. It would be too easy for me otherwise.” She motioned to the bed, watching Sousiel with the eyes of a predator waiting to strike its prey. ”Lay down, now.” Her voice was rough, but full of excitement.

Sousiel giggled at Triss' eagerness, stumbling at the girl's shove for added effect. "I swear I'm a maiden, I just read alot of books." That was a lie, and they both knew it, but Sousiel was determined to have some fun if she was about to be tortured.

She stretched out obediently on the bed, avoiding Triss' eyes for now. "Too easy huh? What exactly to you plan on doing to me Triss?" She unbuttoned the top of her shirt. "I can make this as hard, or easy, as you like." She cooed seductively.

Triss groaned, Sousiel was definitely a smart one. The demon was going to stretch this as long as she wanted, they could be here forever if she didn't turn to face Triss. Then, Sousiel unbuttoned the top of her shirt. Triss shook her head, but decided to go along with it. The view wasn't too bad either. Maybe it would make things easier in the long run.

”I know you can, Sousiel.” Triss said, her voice low and silky. She moved towards Sousiel and straddled her, grabbing the demon's arms and placing them above her head. ”Why don't you make this better for both of us, and face me?”

Sensual boldness was not something Sousiel had been expecting from Triss. The witch's weight on her hips and hands pinning her wrists sent an unwelcome, and unexpected, shiver of warmth across her chest as her pulse quickened. "Fine, if you want it that badly."

"If Lorelai knew what was about to happen...", but what Lorelai didn't know wouldn't kill Triss, and it didn't seem all that long ago to the demon that a young Lorelai burned with an all too similar maddness. She turned her eyes to meet the red-headed witch's, smiling sweetly. "Ok, Triss, have your fun if you must."

Triss held both of Sousiel's wrists in one hand, the other cupping Sousiel's cheek as she examined the supple body she had before her. ”I do, I really do want it.” Then, she pinched Sousiel's cheek until it turned a bright shade of red and stared into her mismatched eyes. Triss’ eyes slowly turned green, because she knew Sousiel wouldn't put up a wall, and it was much more pleasurable for her that way.

Triss entered Sousiel's mind with a shudder, it was very clear and definite, everything simple and mainly the same size. It was surprising, but she figured a demon's mind wasn't made to be that muddled, one track for all purposes. The readings were clear, but none of them were really what she wanted. There was no pain or screaming, but there were inhumane urges there: the need to see others in pain, to destroy, to ruin love and innocence.

There was no void of passion, in fact, there was a giant melded ball of it in a separate corner. It was combined with worship, reverence, and something...maternal? It was all there for a certain someone, and Triss had a great idea as to who. She ignored it, if she pulled it Sousiel would just run away to play with her Mistress. She also bypassed contempt, for the ones weaker than Triss.

While Triss was closely examining an emotion that had a sort of dampener around it, something danced in her eyes. She turned, ready to face an offensive entity. Again, it was there, in the corner of her eyes. It surrounded her, but when she shifted it was gone. Triss was tired of the games, so she outstretched her hands out and called for the unidentified emotion.

What she cradled in her hands made her jump. Desire...for love. It was just a wisp, and it was jumpy as if afraid to have been seen. Triss’ hand shot out and she grasped for more, now having a feel for what she wanted. The emotion was an elusive thing, and it took her quite a while to get a sizeable ball. It was there though, concentrated and real. No passion or urges, just a need for love that wasn't fulfilled. Triss had her emotion, and after shifting it to the front of Sousiel's mind, she pulled out.

Still straddling the demon, Triss felt like she had the upper hand. She didn't know how Sousiel would react to an emotion she had been evading for so long. Triss gripped Sousiel's wrists, smiling with a great deal of charm. She leaned down to whisper in Sousiel's ear, her voice husky. ”How do you feel, love?”

Sousiel shivered as the red-headed witch traipsed across the corridors of her mind. She wondered with sick fascination what the girl would draw out, a touch concerned for the witch's safety as the demon was well aware of the darkness that lurked within her desires. Then she felt something stirr that she had long ago forgotten. Something she could never have.

"Triss?" Sousiel voice was laced with panic. "Please, Triss, please no." She begged, but her pleas fell on deaf ears as the witch was too engrossed in her malicious task.

A hallowness filled her, spreading from her heart to encompass all of her body and spirit. A deep and hungry void, empty of passion and littered with a damnable hope for that one thing she'd never have. Demons didn't get to fall in love, or be loved.

"Triss?" Sousiel's voice broke as the witch whispered in her ear, her eyes filling with crimson tears. "W-why did y-you call me l-love?" She hoped against the overwhelming odds that those sweet words meant something. She was naked and vulnerable in every way that ever mattered, and she needed those words to mean something other than incoming pain. "Please..." She whispered, pressing her cheek against Triss'

The girl before her was not Sousiel, it was someone new entirely, someone who craved the love they were supposed to turn away. Triss grinned, pressing her cheek hard against Sousiel's and nuzzling her. Triss’ hands left Sousiel's wrists, trailing up and down her sides instead. ”Why do you think I said It?” She purred, nibbling softly on Sousiel's ear. She wasn't quite sure if she would break Sousiel yet. She could very easily tell the demon she hated her, and leave her to grovel in pain. That wasn't fun though, she wanted to draw this out as long as she could.

"B-because yo-..." Sousiel couldn't voice her fear, powerless against her deepening desire and the sweet sensation of Triss' hands on her sides. The girl's breath fell hotly against her ear, and her teeth sent shivers down her neck. A warmth bloomed in the demon's chest, against what little sense she had left, and her mouth curved into a fearful smile as her tears spilled over her lashes. "B-because you... love... me?" Her arms wrapped the witch in a tenative embrace, savoring the softness of Triss' body.

Triss’ heart ached at the tone of Sousiel's voice, something human breaking through the madness. She shivered as Sousiel wrapped her arms around her, a fragile embrace, a soft bond between the two of them. She’s going to kill me when this is over, she thought to herself, trailing kisses as soft as a feather along Sousiel's jaw. ”Yes, Sousiel, I love you. Do you love me?” Her voice was taunting, a warning of some sort.

'Say no!, this is where she kills you!' A small voice screamed at the back of Sousiel's mind. She was too enthralled by Triss' sweetness to pay it any mind, her head was filled with the witch's voice, and her body trembled in joy at each light kiss. Her face bloomed into the first bright smile it ever had, and her heart leapt in rapture as it unburdened centuries of pain. She closed her eyes tightly against her pouring tears. "I'm not much Triss... but I love you, and if you want me," Her eyes found Triss' again, twinkling with heartfelt affection. "You can have me."

Triss recoiled, a sudden realization that Sousiel's hope was resting in her hands, had smacked her. Her body softened, and she held her thumb below Sousiel's eyes, waiting to catch the crimson tears as soon as they fell. She could feel every tremble, every ounce of hope leaking off of the girl, and she knew that she couldn't destroy it. What a horrible feeling it was to be weak, that's why Sousiel pushed her need for love aside, and that's why Triss should have just left the girl heartbroken. She couldn't say anything, instead shifting so she could hold Sousiel tight in her arms. When the effect wore off, she had no idea how Sousiel would react, but for now...it was time to take care of the demon.

"I love you, I love you." Sousiel cooed weakly into Triss' chest and sobs of joy wracked her frame. It occured to her that now would be a good time to make love, alone in an empty room, feelings surging through her limbs. She pushed it aside though, they had all the time in the world for things like that.

Or maybe they didn't. Sousiel's better sense reaserted itself slowly, pulling firmly at the haze around her heart. With a deepening sense of dread she realized two things; The first was that she had been manipulated, she felt her peace evaporate like wisps of smoke. The second was that the hope perched in her heart, and her damnable desire for that sweetest of passions, was never going to leave her now. It throbbed uneasily at the back of her heart with no sign of relinquishing its newfound strength.

She turned her head slowly, so she could meet eyes with the witch that had layed bare her deepest nightmare. She painted her lips with her sweetest smile. "Well, Triss, you've destroyed me." She slumped into the witch's arms. "Everyone knows demons can't have love, especially succubi. Maybe I'll have Lorelai kill this thing inside me, like I should have a long time ago."

"I'd take it out on you. Rip your clothes off and show you every horrific thing I'd ever imagined, but something tells me you'd just smile like you deserved it." Sousiel sighed. "Maybe you do, but you've ensnared this heart of mine. Whispered words and clouded thoughts have laid me low, sentenced me to love a devious manipulator."

She laughed bitterly. "How ironic."

Triss raised a finger and planted it on Sousiel's lips, shushing the demon. Things were different in both her heart, and her mind, and Triss had to ease her into it. Sousiel's words were bitter, and Triss found them amusing. ”Tut, Sousiel. I haven't destroyed you, I simply opened your heart to possibilities it hadn't yet known. That emotion inside of you, it ran like a frightened cat. You need to give it the attention it deserves, slowly I'll work you into a lover, someone with feelings more intense than any.”

Triss moved her finger from Sousiel's lips, to tap the girl's forehead. ”I won't let Lorelai destroy that, it's so vulnerable and beautiful. Love can come to anyone, whether it be a manipulative maniac like me, or a demon such as you.” She smiled, her whole face bright. ”Some tears will hurt more than you know, others will spark the greatest joy in your heart. That's why this new feeling is worth it, don't you think?” She laughed, pecking Sousiel's cheek and holding the demon ever tighter.

Sousiel's eyes widened at Triss' response, how many times would she be surprised tonight? "You're going to work me into a lover? How, exactly, do you plan on doing that?" Her heartbeat undercut the sarcasm in her voice, fluttering in her chest against her wishes. She closed her eyes and quit resisting. "Love has caused me nothing but pain, or rather loving those who can't love me back."

"....but I want it anyway." Sousiel sighed, relaxing into Triss' embrace. "I can't let you love me out of some misguided sense of responsibility Triss, neither you nor I can bear that. If you want me, against my better sense, you can have me." She looked up into Triss' eyes without fear, the witch had already done the worst she could, what was left to be afraid of? "But only if that's what you really want."

Triss laughed, resting her head on Sousiel's shoulder. ”Have you met me, Sousiel? I'm anything but responsible, I do what I want, and only what I want. I will show you love, and if you feel like I'm not worthy at the end of it, you can explore the sea of men and women waiting to be with someone as gorgeous as you.”

”You're right to want love, we all do in one way or another. We're good for each other, in a way I will explain to you later. For now, rest in my arms, and stop doubting yourself.” Triss closed her eyes, feeling the steady rhythm of Sousiel's heart as it pounded against her bosom.

"You'll be the death of me Triss, but that's probably okay." Sousiel's eyes fluttered closed as the fatigue of her beating heart, and so many tears, caught up with her. "There are worse ways to die, and I'm done being scared."

She gave in to the last of her mistress' wisdom. Love was for the bold and unafraid. She let those warm fluttering feelings wash over her, carrying her into a deeper sleep than she'd had in decades. There were still a great many things to fear, but Sousiel just couldn't muster up the will to care. Tonight it was her, and Triss, that was all that mattered.

_{in collaboration with @Wildeyes, @SunsetRoses, @Fetzen, and @Shagranoz}



Rebecca roused herself from her studies as one of the vast numbers of servants tapped her on the shoulder. "Medusa has called for a meeting of the entire coven in the Great Hall. Immediately." Rebecca's skin started to crawl. Most likely, this was to be an inquisition to figure out who had let Mat escape, and she did not desire to be within a hundred leagues of the coven matriarch. Regardless, it was an equally stupid decision to disobey her, so she wearily got to her feet and headed out into the halls.

---

Coraline had opened the door to her chamber just moments before a lesser witch was going to knock on it. The young woman looked meek and nervous in Coraline's presence; the knight had armored herself and wore all three of her swords. The witch put her hands behind her back, "Erm... Lady Toph..." she started.

Coraline cut her off there, "I'm not a noble, don't call me lady. That just doesn't sit right with me."

The witch nodded, "Oh... Okay. Well I'm sure you've heard the summons."

Coraline nodded, "I have. And?"

"Well... The matriarch doesn't want you to attend." the younger witch said, looking worried.

Coraline shrugged and moved past her, "Well she isn't the boss of me. If Lorelai is going, then I must as well. She'll have to deal with it." she paused and glanced back over her shoulder, "And relax. I'm not going to hurt you."

The witch still looked nervous, Coraline assumed she had done exactly what the lesser witch was worried about. It didn't bother Coraline much, it just told her how intimidated the bloodroses were by her. That was fine in her books.

---

Triss woke slumped in her desk chair, a quill still in hand and a smeared parchment tucked underneath. In bold cursive, she had been writing what she saw in Andri's mind, she had a separate page for Khan and his curiousness. She picked her head up off the paper, peeling it off as it stuck then proceeding to crumple it and toss it in a sizeable pile in the corner. Someone had knocked on her door, and she needed to see who it was.

Caring little about how presentable she looked, Triss opened the door. A small, blonde witch stood before her, her hand poised to knock again. Triss tilted her head, waiting for an explanation from the girl.

”Triss, have you been announced of the summons?” The witch asked, her voice sheepish as she chewed on her lips. ”To, er...the grand halls?”

”I have not, but I'll be getting ready for them at once. Shoo, girl.” Triss took a step back, and just as the girl was about to explain something to her, she slammed her door. Triss quickly washed her face and changed into a new dress, waiting a few heartbeats until she heard the sound of soft footsteps escaping down the hall.

Triss opened her door, making sure the blonde was gone, then she took off to the Grand Hall, braiding her hair as she went.

---

Clarissa's feet drug through the hallways of the castle. Sure enough, within weeks of Rebecca's successful bid for peace they'd found themselves at war anyway. At least it was just hunters they'd be killing, and not her sisters.

Her face curved into a sudden grin as she spied the lich on her way. Running up to her she called out. "Rebecca! I haven't had much of a chance to talk to you since you left. You simply must fill me in on how you managed a miracle."

"It wasn't me, so much as Andri. He was the one who pointed out the stupidity of fighting a war when we know that something big is stirring. I just gave him the opportunity; he did all the hard work." She shrugged. "And what of you, Clarissa? What have you been doing these past few weeks?"

"Oh you know. Running letters between mommy and mommy, making sure everyone is aware that there's no war, stuff like that." Clarissa grinned. "Oh, and keeping an eye on one of Lorelai's pets, some knight chick that has some relic blade that Medusa's concerned about. Coraline, if you've met her."

As if on queue, Coraline had walked from another corridor and was headed the same way as the two witches. She was quiet as she strode only a few paces ahead of them. The presence Coraline gave off was imposing, like she was still on edge about being in the castle and was ready for action at a moment's notice. Her greave clanked on the stone floor of the castle, the chain armor underneath her light plate rattled. The proximity to Charon's blade made the air feel colder, it was a wonder that Coraline wasn't shivering in that steel armor.

"I haven't met her, but I've heard of her." Rebecca turned her rotting head at the sound of a newcomer clanging towards them. "In fact, judging from the descriptions I've heard, that must be her." She glanced at the armored woman. "Coraline, I take it? It's a pleasure to meet you, but... why are you armed? You are under Lorelai's protection; one would have to be suicidal to harm you here."

"You know... other than Lorelai." Clarissa added. "Do you need an adult? Is big bad Von'Strauss abusing you?" she chuckled, but her eyes belyed her concern. The older witch had been collecting hunters recently, and rumors flew about their purpose. From strange sexual urges, to blood sacrifice, to demonic vessels. She wasn't dumb enough to stick her nose where it didn't belong, but she didn't envy either Elizabeth or Coraline.

Coraline glanced over her shoulder when the first witch greeted her. When asked why she was armed, Coraline shrugged, "This is a war council, is it not? Where I'm from, being dressed for battle shows what you're capable of when war comes." There is a pause, only the armor's noise fills the hall. Eventually Coraline speaks again, "And Lorelai isn't protecting me."

When Clarissa decided to poke fun at Coraline, she stopped and turned to face the two witches. Her eyes locked onto Clarissa, "Everything you say, Lorelai hears, I wouldn't go provoking her when you think she isn't present. Keep your childish comments to yourself." Coraline turned and began heading down the hall again.

Triss rounded the corner and scowled at what she found. A woman armed to the teeth, Rebecca -who was rotting very nicely- and Clarissa. She thought about backing up, but by then they had probably already seen her. So, with a small forced smile, she began walking towards them.

The closer she got, the colder she felt, a weird sensation that must've been rolling off of one of them. She assumed it was little miss swords, because Rebecca and Clarissa didn't threaten her with frostbite the last time they met. Triss caught the edge of a retort from sassy sword lady, before she scampered off down the hall with a fresh dosage of ego. Triss watched her walk, then slowly made her way over to Rebecca and Clarissa. ”Morning, you two.”

"And a good morning to you as well, Triss. I take it you are heading to the meeting as well? At least Coraline dressed properly for the proceedings." Rebecca shrugged her shoulders and spoke to Clarissa. "I wouldn't worry about what Lorelai knows, if only because Lorelai knows everything that goes on around here already. " She walked down the halls after Coraline, beckoning Clarissa and Triss to follow her.

"She's still kinda scary though, I just don't like being alone with her." Clarissa picked up her pace, linking arms with Triss if only because she was pretty sure the young witch wouldn't appreciate it and she was feeling capricous. Once they'd caught up with Coraline she grinned at the knight. "You have to tell me... is she fondling your lady bits? I need to know... for my role as the castle gossip." She chuckled. "Very offical stuff."

Coraline walked ever forward, listening to the witches snicker and giggle behind her back. She rolled her eyes once or twice at a few comments but decided to not react again; it only satisfied them more. Coraline's temper had never truly recovered, even with her constant training with Charon's blade. The knight was amazed that she even made it that far down the hall without losing her patience with the women. Then Clarissa had to ask about Lorelai's other urges. Coraline kept a calm voice, but she sounded disinterested with the conversation at hand, "Is that all you care about? What Lorelai does in her bedchamber? I shouldn't need to remind you that your very way of life is threatened by a horde of angry hunters right now. You might not like it but I may one of the few people left to salvage the situation. Don't go burning that bridge."

"Yes, my only concern is who's fucking who, and who's pissed about that." Clarissa said sarcastically. "I'm just trying to make conversation Coraline, cut me some slack huh? Considering you've been woefully remiss in holding up your end." She winked a peace offering at the knight. "Now dish."

Triss tried to pull her arm away from Clarissa’s, but the other witch wasn't having it. To be difficult, Triss dropped her weight and forced Clarissa to drag her around. She stopped and straightened her stance when Clarissa approached ‘Coraline' and caused an explosion. Triss scowled at the Coraline, staring at her with a glare as sharp as the swords on her hip.

”The bridge is already burned, little one. Ever thought of discussing this with Lorelai, before you go making assumptions?” Triss said to the witch, who talked proudly but with a tone that gave off nothing. Triss wanted to investigate into the girl's mind, see what was really going on there, and what she was hiding. The thought made Triss want to drool, until she remembered she was supposed to be healing. Lorelai, always having to limit me. She thought, slightly irritated.

Triss didn't know if something had changed, she was going off of what Andri had told her during their time together. In an instant she had relaxed, and turned to Clarissa with a giggle. ”I already know who Lorelai is fucking, it's the little blonde one...Elizabeth. I helped her in the act a couple nights ago.”

"Elizabeth? Really?" Rebecca quirked an eyebrow. She hadn't been much for castle gossip, but this caught her off guard. "I'm surprised, to say the least. She and Lorelai didn't seem like a likely match, at least to my eyes. Still, you can never be sure when love will blossom, or when it will wither. It's a curious thing."

"Eh, she's blonde, and hot." Clarissa looked dissapointed. She doubted Lorelai 'loved' Elizabeth, surely a witch that old wasn't really capable of love anymore. "Makes enough sense if Lorelai's looking for a bedwarmer. Although the thought of stiff knight lady writhing was more amusing."

She looked to Triss. Petite and ill-tempered, just Lorelai's type if Vespa had been any indication. "You... helped? How did that work out? Please tell me that means what I think it does."

Coraline sighed as she overheard the conversation behind her. The topic had lost Coraline plenty of hours of sleep because of the blood pact. She rolled her shoulders and pressed on quietly, trying to not listen to the talking behind her. The hallway felt like it would never end.

Triss sighed, shaking her head at Clarissa. ”It doesn't, I just made Blondie lustful. I'm sure they had a swell night.” Triss smirked, before adding an afterthought to tease Clarissa. ”I did sleep with someone though.” She bit her tongue to keep herself from laughing, surprised when a blush found her cheeks instead.

Oh, it was too much, simply too much. The opportunity to mess with Clarissa's head (and Triss's too) was far beyond her capacity to pass up. "And you were very good at it, too. That thing with your fingers and tits... I'd have never thought of it myself." She winked in such a way that Triss could see it, but Clarissa couldn't. Hopefully, that would be enough to prevent mental torture in retribution. But she somewhat doubted it.

Clarissa immediately squealed in delight. "Yes! Oh yeah, now that is good." She released her hold on Triss and patted her arm proudly. "Lich and the mind witch, I couldn't make that up! Spare my stomach the details, but I must go and inform anyone and everyone of this most joyous occassion." She immediatly turned and skipped down the halls, stopping every witch she found.

Triss growled at Rebecca, as Clarissa went running down the halls to tell everyone they had sex. Andri, Alphonse, everyone would hear the lie. Someone had hell to pay, and that someone was the rotting redhead in front of her. Her eyes swept over Rebecca's frame, glowing a bright green. ”Why did you do that?” She asked simply, her voice sickeningly sweet as she tried to lock eyes with the witch

"Because it was a great story. I do not regret it in the slightest." Rebecca caught a green flash in Triss's eyes and realized just how deep in trouble she was. Still, she was ready. If Triss wanted to root around in her deepest, darkest moments, she hoped the other witch was prepared for what she'd find.

”If you say so.” Triss replied, calm and collected as her eyes found Rebecca's. It took her only a moment, and she was in. Surprisingly, there were hardly any walls for Triss to go around. Triss liked this, the fact that Rebecca was ready to face the consequences of her actions. She had wanted to make the witch scream and jump like a fool, but she figured she could lesser the punishment. Who was she kidding? Of course she wouldn't do that.

Triss traversed the planes of Rebecca's mind, rubbing her hands together in preparation. There was happiness, anger, sadness, all things one would expect in a normal person's mind. Triss was ready to back out, disappointed but still furious, when she found it. In the deep recesses of Rebecca's mind, hidden by a thin veil of acceptance, was the perfect subject.

A ball of agony, panic, and fright, in a concentrated mass so large it made Triss look like a cowering ant. The screams coming from it were priceless, potent and extreme. Was it too much, to draw this out? Triss knew it was, but she could care less. She took a small amount, something that would only last a few agonizing minutes. With the saddening realization she could have taken more and made it worse, Triss planted the memory in the front of Rebecca's thoughts, and pulled out.

Triss stood there, arms crossed in satisfaction, as she waited for the effect to kick in and take hold. She would consider Lorelai's possible explosion later, for now she would enjoy her small victory.

The pain. Oh god, she'd almost forgotten what pain felt like, not having dealt with it in her new state. Almost. Rebecca crumbled in an agonized heap, as the excruciating feeling made her vomit a black, fetid substance. And that was only the beginning.

Next was the fear. What if... what if it didn't work? Would her mind and soul be trapped in the crystal, in the darkness, for all eternity? She only had one chance at this, and the consequences were terrifying if she failed. She whimpered uncontrollably, reduced to a truly pitiful state.

Triss’ eyes widened, as Rebecca collapsed in a heap one could hardly look at. Triss felt disgusted with herself, an emotion she didn't know she was capable of feeling in such a heightened state. She was becoming soft, she realized, as she ran to Rebecca and cradled the panicked mass in her arms. ”Oh drat...look what I've done.” She muttered softly, looking around her for someone who was good at comforting people.

The moonlight glinted off the knife she held just under her breast. With a shock, the witch realized she wouldn't be able to hold it in about half a minute. She made a clean, wide slice through skin and bone alike, reached into it, and-

With a start, Rebecca snapped back to the present to see Triss, of all people, with her arms wrapped around her. Rebecca's voice was something between a whisper and a croak. "Other witches have asked me what it's like to die. Now, you have some small idea."

”My apologies, Rebecca.” Triss said softly, simple but sincere. She rocked the witch, avoiding eye contact as she swept away the hair from her face. What she had done was low, and she understood that, but it was in the past now and she had already given Rebecca an apology. ”My reaction to your joke was vile, forgive me.”

"Not near as vile as the joke itself. I deserved far worse. I thank you for leaving the worst parts out of it, at least." Rebecca wiped a bit of filth from her mouth. "My behavior was repugnant, and you responded in kind. Let it end here."

Triss nodded, smiling brightly. ”It is in the past now, I think leaving it there is better than stewing over it.” Triss strained, trying her hardest to pull Rebecca up gently. The girl was bigger than Triss, so it was a strenuous task. ”Rebecca, can you stand? We still need to head to the conference…” She laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Rebecca worked herself to her feet. "Yes, indeed." She rubbed a bit of... something... out of her robes. Best not to think about what it was. She strode off towards the Great Hall, looking far more prim and proper than would have seemed possible just a few minutes ago.

Triss followed a few steps behind Rebecca, watching to make sure she didn't trip and fall. Everyone that shot them looks or laughs at their expense would receive an icy glare in return, and most of the witches that saw what had happened gave Triss a wide berth. Triss realized that she was a live wire, that would sting most of the people around her, and that satisfied her until she realized how horrible she felt after the incidents. I need to talk to Lorelai about this after the meeting.

---

The Grand hall was an appropriately massive room given its name. Several long tables ran down the length of the impressive room, atop them sat cold-iron daggers. One for each witch they were stabbed into the wood of the table. Cold-iron had a long history amongst witches. A bane against the wondrous fey and the twisted entities of the Tellurian it symbolized the end of dreams, and the beginning of bloody days.

At the head of the room was the seat of the Matriarch, and in it sat Medusa in her ritual finery. Seated to her right was Lorelai and Elizabeth clad in their battle regalia, and at her left were two empty seats reserved for the spirits of the Elders. As the witch's filtered in they whispered amongst themselves.

"What do you think our odds are?" Medusa turned to Lorelai.

"I don't count odds Medusa, I kill our enemies." Lorelai replied cooly. "Leave that to those that have time for it."

Alphonse nodded to himself in silent agreement, one with the shadows of the Main Hall. He spread his awareness throughout the room. Tonight could be tense, it was best to be ready.

Phagora made her way into the room, not daring to meet the eyes of either Lorelai or Medusa. She knew it was her actions that were largely responsible for the necessity of this meeting. She dreaded her punishment. A silver brand, a crown of lavender, or something more... final? She had no idea, and not knowing made it all the worse.

Medusa offered Phagora a small smile as the witch crept into the room. "What do you plan to do with Phagora, Lorelai? I think she realizes her position."

Lorelai shrugged. "I might peel her skin off, or flay her, maybe burn her alive. I haven't decided yet." She sighed. "I'll likely offer her the opportunity to die in the war, that will make my decision easy enough."

She eyed the woman. "She might make for a juicy chew toy for Sousiel, she's been agitated lately." She mused. "No matter, hardly time for that now."

Perhaps one could consider it a piece of luck that the path from Andri's chamber to the Great Hall did not lead through the same hallway Triss, Rebecca, Clarissa and Coraline were using. If the rumor about Triss and Rebecca had already reached his ears, it would have given Khan a terrible 'There you go! Forget about all these lies, at the bottom end people just want to do the same thing I want to do!'-victory. If he had seen Triss using her power on the other witch as a revenge, it would have severely destabilized their relationship.

Now the assassin entered the Great Hall using another entrance, a place where the likelihood of anyone delivering any new rumors to him was dramatically increased, given the number of witches around here. His mood was moderate, mainly determined by the outcome of his meeting with Lorelai. It was great to have found a new harbor, but it also put the bottom line under him not being a hunter anymore. He would continue doing his job here, but the targets would be different. Yet he planned on not giving up his policy of examining the selection before going to work.

Saen was the next to make her way into the Great Hall. She slithered in, looking around at the other witches filing in. Her tongue flicked in and out, tasting the strange odor on the air. Not fear per se, but... nervousness? Yes, that was the right word. She could feel it in the very air around her. So many witches, uncertain about what the future would bring. Whatever happened, it would certainly be interesting.

Alyssa bore a smirk on her face as she strode into the hall. Evidently Triss had elected to mate with Rebecca... the lich. That was rich, even by her standards. Rebecca was nice enough, by all reports, but had too many... shortcomings to be a viable sexual partner. The only conclusion then, was that Triss was psychotic, or delightfully strange.

Her face brightened as she spied Saen's serpentine form. She nearly knocked over several young witches as she made her way towards the lamia. "Good morning Saen! I have the best story to tell you."

"Well, that's ironic. I have something to tell you, too." Her voice dropped to a low whisper. "I laid my... our clutch of eggs last night. Three of them. They're in blankets in my room. I wanted you to see them before I put them in the nest." Saen waited patiently for Alyssa's reaction. This truly would be the moment when she learned whether the other witch was ready to be a parent.

Alyssa's face brightened further, and paradoxicly apprehension came over her features. She was going to be a mother, with children, that would look up to her, and learn behaviours from her. She was elated, but at the same she was very aware of how little she knew about motherhood.

She alternated between dancing and deep breathing, as the two emotions went to war across her chest. Finally she returned her attention to Saen, smiling brightly. "That makes my gossip seem incredibly stupid." She took a deep breath. "Triss and Rebecca did the deed. Can I see them after the meeting?"

"Of course." The first part of Alyssa's statement seemed to hit full force after the second. "Wait a minute... you mean..." All the color seemed to vanish from Saen's scales as the implications, and worse yet, definitely unwanted visuals played merry havoc in her head. "Oh. Oh my. I'm- I'm going to need some time to pry this out of my skull."

"Right!?" Alyssa giggled. "It's so delightfully depraved. I'm half tempted to ask Triss for the details, but I'm pretty sure I don't want them." She grinned. "Clarissa seemed to think it was wonderful, that Rebecca had found a partner or something."

She shuddered. "The strangeness of witches I suppose. Although I guess we should be wishing them well, instead of imagining the specifics of their passion."

"That is true. And we're ones to talk, besides."

"Your charms are self evident." Alyssa's face colored lightly. "Rebecca's would take a great deal of explanation."

At that moment, Rebecca and Triss came into the room, and everyone just... stopped. The entire coven went dead silent, and all eyes turned to them. Apparently, Clarissa couldn't keep her big mouth shut. Rebecca shuddered. She was going to strangle the damned shadowmaster when this was over.

All the witches pointed at them and muttered under their breaths, but they stopped dead when Triss’ eyes flashed a bright green. Most young witches averted their eyes, or turned to go talk in a quiet corner. This satisfied Triss, but she kept the corner of her eyes flashing as a warning. ”Rebecca, you've screwed us.” She hissed, turning to look at the rotting lych.

”Where do we start with damage control?” Triss asked, her eyes sweeping the room in a dark glare. She wanted to make them all scream, just like Rebecca had. No, she wanted to do worse, she wanted to make them have vivid nightmares of their horrific deaths for the rest of the- she really needed to talk to Lorelai.

"Uh. at this point, we're far beyond damage control. I think all we can do is try to play it off as a one-night sort of thing." Rebecca stared down at the stone floor. This couldn't possibly get any worse.

Triss fumed, her nostrils flaring like a bull ready to charge. ”Come now, Rebecca. There has to be something we can do, someone I can maim. Where's Clarissa? I want her to writhe in pain for telling the castle.” She scanned the crowd, but Clarissa was probably still telling the lie. ”This is malarkey.

"There's a few nasty plagues I could give her, but I don't want the rest of the castle getting sick." As Triss complained about how Clarissa was going to scream for her actions, Rebecca had no choice but to agree. "Just leave her alive, please. I want to have some fun of my own with that slimy bitch. And yes, this is a load of horse dung."

"Which slimy bitch is that?" Said Clarissa cheerily. She'd quickly lapped the castle and told anyone and everyone of the joyous occasion. Strangely she hadn't gotten the reaction she'd anticipated, some witches even lost their breakfast. While it was dissapointing she was simply happy to have spread the word. "Does someone dissaprove?"

Triss glared daggers at Clarissa, balling her fists and preparing to attack the witch. ”You! You're the slimy bitch who didn't wait five seconds for me to deny Rebecca's lie! I swear to the Lord above I'm going to hurt you, your mind will be a bigger hellhole than the abyss itself!” The only reason she didn't lunge then and there was because there were other witches around, and she didn't want Lorelai to see. Her eyes glowed brighter than they had in awhile, causing spots to appear in the eyes of witches that were caught in her gaze.

I don't believe this: She did it. With that heap of leaking, rottin' flesh! I really hope she takes a very decent bath before she dares to touch you again! Khan's voice was full of artificial venom. His hosts presence in the Great Hall, pretty much as one could have expected, hadn't lasted long until a young, twirly witch had unwittingly put oil into the demon worm's fire while exposing it to forced ventilation. Khan... You're such a flip-flopper. I can remotely remember you telling me something about 'necrophilia'! You need to understand that even demons sometimes pull off a joke! If only yours would be a bit more fun... Oh... if you would be so gentle to nudge your attention into the correct corner of your view you'd see that the party's boiling over with Triss over there... Khan let go of a low, but rather ugly laughter.

Despite the large number of persons in the hall, it was a really easy task to spot and keep track of him. The hunter didn't wait for witches to make way for him. They had to hurry if they didn't want to be pushed aside by his body - it shortened the time requirement significantly. When he approached the trio, Andri could see that Triss was... busy. The reason was anonymous to him, but not so the anger. He had prepared for a mainly neutral greeting with no amusement about what everyone seemed to be talking about leaking from it, but the new situation made this plan waste paper. "Hey! What's going on here ?" the hunter attempted to get the attention before something probably really nasty took place.

Oh, shit. Rebecca had already gotten her well-deserved comeuppance, but whatever Triss was going to do to Clarissa could be even nastier. Rebecca knew firsthand just how unrestrained Khan was, and if he had heard this story, well, the results would be ugly. Andri himself wasn't wasn't a problem, though. Thank goodness for small favors.

She backed up behind Triss, not wanting to be a part of this any more than she already was.

Clarissa burst into laughter. "I'm so sorry!" She managed between giggles. It took her nearly a minute to calm herself, and when she had she was wiping tears from her cheeks. "Here I thought you and Rebecca were happily mating vigorously. It's dissapointing to discover that you're not."

She smiled over Triss' shoulder at Rebecca. "No worries, love springs eternal and all that. I'm sure you'll find someone that recognizes your charms." She patted Triss' shoulder. "I'll see what I can do to clear this up, but you'll understand if I don't let you wreak havoc in my mind? That just doesn't sound fun at all."

Before anyone else could add to the rapidly escalating debaucle Medusa's voice boomed out over the hall, bringing the witches back to the task at hand. "Brothers and Sisters!"

The lights in the room dimmed except for the one that lit the small podium at which Medusa now stood. "Some of you are aware of a captive that escaped recently, some of you are even aware that the captive was a hunter."

Medusa paused to look over the faces of the witches gathered here, that called her castle home. "We now have confirmation that he'll be leading the hunters of Seren's Folly back to our home." Her voice betrayed her sorrow at what was to come. "They come with the intent to remove what they see as a blight on their world, and they will not show mercy."

She extended at arm towards Lorelai, who was still seated behind her. "I hearby name Lorelai Von'Strauss our Matriarch in this our darkest hour, and invite her to speak to you. Lorelai's long been defending our home, and she'll need all of your help in the coming months. I expect you all to serve her faithfully."

Lorelai nodded at Medusa as the woman returned to her seat. She stood and made her way grimmly to the podium. "I don't have any pretty words for you brothers and sisters, it will fall to each witch to make peace with what is to come, with what must be done."

"What I do have is a promise. If every witch does their part, and staves off despair, we'll see the end of this." Her voice was calm and resolved. "So, to begin."

She removed a roll of parchment from her robes and layed it over the podium. "I need all soldier-witches to report to Elizabeth." She gestured to the huntress. "She'll be using my office in her official role as my General. The lounge of my tower has also been repurposed into a war room. Her commands are mine, and insubordination with her with meet with the expected results."

"Saen, as the coven treasurer and relic hunter I'd like to dispatch you to the Altmeri. Their griffons can ensure supplies long after a possible seige, take someone with you of your choice for your protection, and leave by tomorrow morning." She continued to read from her scroll. "Green witches, I need the flower gardens converted into producing food in anticipation of the same event."

"Summoner witches, it falls to you to maintain the first line of defense. You'll be given a stipend of sacrifices and stones to keep your reserves healthy, I expect you to stretch them as far as they'll go." Lorelai finally looked up from her scroll, her face impassive. "I expect everyone to report for duty after lunch, I'll give you until then to ensure your things are in order."

"Your General would like to speak to you now." She stepped away from the podium and returned to her seat.

Elizabeth stepped up to the podium, wearing her armor, the crests of the Von’Strauss clan gleaming proudly on the shoulders. She had prepared a speech, to try and ease the negative reactions of witches that didn't think she was capable. She wanted them to trust her, not just listen to her because they would be punished by Lorelai.

She had her piece of parchment at the ready in front of her, but like any good Lady, she wouldn't be using it. Her eyes scanned the crowd, passionate but not hard. She wanted to be someone they could get along with. ”As you all know, I have been appointed as the General in this war. This is not because of my ties with Lorelai, but because I am capable.” She spoke with the swaying tone of a politician, her voice carrying across the room.

”I know strategy, I am capable of making decisions for the betterment of those working under me, and I plan on getting us through the war.” A hint of a smile found Liz’s face, a subtle encouragement. ”Yes, I was once a hunter, all of you know me as such. Though that was true, my loyalties no longer fall with our enemies. I am asking you all to accept me as your General, not because I believe witches aren't capable on their own, but because if we are united with a single mission and a well formed plan, our chances of success will increase tenfold. Thank you.” She turned, and walked with a straightened back and a set jaw to her seat.

The lights flared back to full strength as the gathered witches began to leave. Whispered conversations filled the room along with the soft sobbing of the young. Their eyes drifted occasionally to Elizabeth, the first topic of concern. Some gave her nodds of approval, most gave her a wary look, and still others bore looks of contempt and disdain.

Elina glanced between Lorelai and Elizabeth, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Curious isn't it?" A pout curved her lips as she drew herself to her feet, limping lightly on her new leg as she exited the Grand Hall.

Phagora let out a deep, barely concealed sigh of relief. Her status as the one who released Mat was well known, and she'd feared the worst would be her punishment. Now, it seemed like she might get away clean. Then again, she might not. She spied Lorelai's icy visage as she stood to leave, her finger crooked at her in the univeral symbol of 'get over here'.

Apparently, she'd thought too soon. Phagora walked over to the new matriarch wearing an expression that screamed 'Put me in the deepest, darkest pit of Hell for all eternity! I don't care! Just get me out of here!' "Did you have a special task for me, Lorelai?" Phagora asked, trying desperately to play the faux ignorance card.

"Indeed, Phagora, I did." Lorelai's tone could cut steel as she beheld the object of her most murderous desires. "You, my dear Phagora, are going to be Elizabeth's bitch. If she says jump, you jump, if she says die, you die. You will keep her alive and as stress free as possible, and ensure she doesn't receive any undue resistance from the rest of our covenmates."

She paused for a moment, as the overwhelming desire to bathe the woman in fire sent smoke billowing from her nostrils. "...If she says she's satisfied with your service you may yet live when this is all said and done. Are we clear?'

The smoke wafting from Lorelei's nose unnerved the tiefling. What had she done to herself? Be that as it may, Phagora nodded. There was nothing more she could say anyways. She scurried off towards Elizabeth to get her first set of instructions.

Elizabeth was sitting in her seat, her posture perfect as she bashed herself for her horrible speech. She could have done better, swayed more people. She had seen those looks, and while the nods made her feel great, everything else was like a boulder on her back. She jumped as a witch approached her, rushed and slightly...afraid? Elizabeth stood up from her seat, looking at the girl with a great bit of concern. ”Are you okay? Is there anything I can help you with?”

"Actually, that's the same question I was about to ask you. Lorelai has decreed that I am to be your personal servant. Do you have any tasks for me?" There was no snark or sass from Phagora's lips. She was smart enough to realize that her very life was in this woman's hands.

Elizabeth pursed her lips, shooting a loving glance at Lorelai. It was so sweet of her, to have taken the time to pick out an assistant. Elizabeth strolled off the stage, beckoning the girl to follow with her hand. ”I plan to go to Lorelai's office and prepare for the soldier-witches, it would be a great help if you accompanied me. What is your name? I am Elizabeth, Elizabeth C. James.” Of course the witch knew who she was, but it was always polite to address oneself.

"I'm Phagora. Shall we get to work, then, General? I see no reason to tarry here."

”Of course not, the sooner we get this done, the more time we'll have to relax.” Elizabeth took fast strides all the way to Lorelai's office, and when they arrived she opened the door for Phagora. ”So, will you help me clear her desk of scrolls? I need a lot of parchment and ink, too, but I'll get those things.”

Elina and her hulking demonic servitor strode into the room, her eyes scanning the modifications Liz had made since the last time she'd been in here. Her brow furrowed in irritation, she'd liked it just the way it was. Turning to the blonde huntress she performed a small curtsey. "Hello, I'm Elina Ruvina. I'm a... healer. I don't know if that makes me a soldier, but it seems that they'd be who I was working with."

"Might I be of assistance?" She added with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Elizabeth turned to Elina, her smile freezing before it could affect the rest of her face. This was Lorelai's past lover, the one that had put her into a slump. Soon though, Elizabeth's features had returned to normal, and she decided to play it off as though she had been surprised. ”Hello Elina! Come, take a seat at the desk and I'll get some directions written for you. Phagora, would you be so kind as to get me that parchment and ink I was talking about? Possibly a quill, too.”

Elizabeth gestured to the desks before her, and took a sat in Lorelai's chair. She grabbed Lorelai's pipe, stuffing some tobacco inside and lighting it, just for the aromatic scent that filled the room. She wasn't a smoker herself, but the smell reminded her of time in her father's study. ”You would be with the soldier witches, actually. They would be in the front line, and you and the fellow healers would stay towards the castle to take in any wounded found on the battlefield.”

Elina frowned as Elizabeth sat in Lorelai's chair, that didn't set very well with the silver-haired girl, seeing an unfamiliar face looking out from the Von'Strauss' throne. She took a seat in the same chair she always had when she'd come to visit. Her mouth opened to reply, closing swiftly once she saw the nearly blashphemous sight of the blonde whore smoking from Lorelai's pipe.

"That sounds very workable." She managed. "Excuse me, Elizabeth, but what is you and Lorelai's relationship?"

Elizabeth's face was cool under the pressure Elina was putting on her, she smiled merrily and phrased her next words in her mind before she spoke them. ”Lorelai and I are lovers, I am also her Dragon Knight. What was your relationship with Lorelai?” She cocked an eyebrow, inhaling the smell of burning tobacco to calm her. She knew full well what Elina had done to Lorelai, but she wouldn't become aggressive over things of the past.

Elina closed her eyes. So the whore had already seduced Lorelai, she'd applaud her ability were it not so irritating. "I was hoping to win back her affection, but it seems someone's already siezed my seat." She frowned at the woman. "I'm Vespa's sister, me and Lorelai have been close for years. Now I'm her apprentice of sorts I suppose."

She smiled, wanting to tease the huntress a little. "Have you seen her... thing, you know... her penis?" Her eyes sparked with mischief.

Elizabeth kept the same, cool face. She wouldn't let Elina's words break her down, she wouldn't experience jealousy. Last night, Lorelai had given herself to her, not Elina. ”I give apologies where they are due, but Lorelai has voiced her opinion. I hope you two are having fun working together though.” She smiled, but it was weak.

”I have seen her penis, yes. Have you felt her tail?” Elizabeth laughed, but her cheeks went pink at the thought of what had conspired last night.

"Her tail!?" Elina's eyes went wide as her cheeks colored to match Elizabeth's. "Where did she get a tail?"

”She has plenty of new tricks, now that she's conquered her Dragon.” Elizabeth's eyes twinkled and her chest puffed out a little. ”I was so proud of her accomplishment. Enough about that though, what else is there to discuss for the healers? Let me get you some written assignments and rules.”

"Yes, although we'll have to gossip some later." Elina rested a hand on her stomach, hoping for the first time that she was pregnant, that would give her something Liz didn't have. Unless Lorelai had managed to impregnate the huntress as well, the very thought of that sent shivers of rage down the young Rivina's spine.

”Of course, I'll try to find the time. Things are busier now, though.” Elizabeth gave Elina a sad half-smile, dipping her quill into the inkpot before her and writing down some rules on the parchment. ”Since you are a healer, you will not be leaving your workstation unless you are specifically called to the battlefield for a paralysis situation or any other situation where a person can not be moved...such as impalings. You will not refuse service to anyone brought to you, unless they are from the enemy side.” She looked up, watching to see if Elina understood her instructions so far.

"As you wish, General Elizabeth." She replied simply. The rules seemed simple enough, although she didn't relish the thought of being chained to a healing station. "I'll need a steady stream of live sacrifices, or to borrow you lover, to keep my reserves healthy."

Elizabeth nodded, glad to have cooperation. ”No need to call me General, everyone that comes into my office is in equal grounds with me. I'm simply around to give instructions to those who need them.” She smiled, passing Elina the rule form with a few other notes about manners towards patients, and how to focus attention between someone who needs a cut covered and someone with a mortal wound. ”As for your supplies, I will make sure to see to that. Make your souls last, we need to distribute them to every able witch.”

"Of course General." Elina stood, tucking the document under her arm. "If you'll excuse me I'd like to catch Lorelai before she gets to busy, unless there was anything else?"

Elizabeth shook her head, waving Elina off. ”No, I believe we're set. Have a nice day, Elina. Do give Lorelai my best wishes, if she has to leave before I see her again.” Elizabeth focused again on transcribing more rule sheets.

---

Alphonse was hopeful, seeing that many of the witches were willing to give Liz a chance. He couldn't concentrate on the consequences of the meeting tonight however, as his senses were able to pick up many of the conversations between witches before and after the meeting.
"That's disgusting!" One said, "I didn't even think a Lich could feel anything....down there." another might say. "I'd heard they were lovers from before they came to the castle." Alphonse was incredulous himself, but supposed that it made sense though. The witches of this castle only seemed to open their hearts to their fellow women. Even a male Witch was only truly good for his service. At least he wouldn't have to endure the trials of women in the abyss. Still, it did seem unlikely.

Alphonse pulled himself together behind a pillar, and walked out into the dispersing witches as if he had been standing there the whole time. Quickly, he found Triss.
"You and Rebecca huh?" He said simply. A smile on his face, as if he were telling a funny joke.

Triss was ready to shout a long speech at Clarissa, her words having been held during the meeting. She wanted to maim the witch, but it didn't seem like Rebecca was backing her up anymore. Plus, Clarissa had treated it like a silly joke, and Triss was worn and tired.

Triss turned to leave and throw things in her room, ending up standing before Alphonse. Her heart pounded at his words, she felt defeated. ”No, Rebecca and I never happened. It was a joke that went horribly out of proportion.” She looked up at him, her eyes pleading for understanding. ”You know it's a joke, right? That's why you're smiling? Clarissa and Rebecca will explain it to you.”

"It's true, just a joke I elected to spread around the castle out of excitement." Clarissa picked up on what was happening quickly. "It made for a good story though, but I could understand if you'd disagree Mr. Shadow." She flashed her best apologetic grin.

It did sound just like Clarissa to spread a rumor with absolutely no substance to it. Then again that was perfectly convenient for a conspiracy. Perhaps Triss was trying to make herself vulnerable to the Lich in another attempt to end her life. Alphonse thought too much. He shook his head.
"Who came up with this crazy story?" He said, apparently amused.

Saen made her way towards the conversation. "I don't know, but whoever did has a diseased mind. I approve of it." The lamia's eyes spread around the room. "As I am no fighter, I need someone who is to come with me. Does anyone have recommendations?"

"Ya know, I'd really love to, but I have some previous engagements in hell." Alphonse said, not enthusiastically at all. "Maybe...no, Aeryn's gone.... maybe Alyssa? She seems plenty dangerous."

"No, Alyssa has... other responsibilities I'd like her to take care of. In fact, I need to see her about them. Excuse me." Saen slithered off, looking for the demon summoner.

”Engagement in hell?” Triss asked, unsurprised that he didn't tell her beforehand. She looked longingly into his eyes, wanting to talk to him privately before he left. She ignored the question about who spread the lie, though he seemed amused, he could get upset. ”You should tell me about it before you head out, I'm curious.” She smiled, hoping that would be a good enough invitation, they really hadn't talked in awhile.

Alphonse's smile became more genuine at her invitation. He had been trying to give her some space after their last....conversation. Besides, it would break his heart to say no to that face. If there was ever a time to try to break down barriers, it was now. "Sure, I'll tell you all about it while we're alone."

Triss smiled, the world dissolving around her as she experienced the happiness she felt when Alphonse was around. They would finally get to catch up, and she could tell him farewell before he left to do his task. ”There's no better time than now.” She suggested, taking his hand and leading him out of the room.

---

Alyssa watched Elizabeth leave the stage with Phagora, with Elina stalking not too far behind. 'That's an explosion waiting to happen.' She thought to herself. She turned to Saen as she approaced, a worried frown on her face. "Saen, I'll pack my things after I see the eggs."

"I don't want you to go with me, Alyssa. The eggs are going to hatch while we're away, and I want their mother to be the first thing they see." A brief spark of an idea seemed to cross Saen's face, but the lamia quickly dismissed it. "You aren't going, and that's final."

Alyssa groaned. "Saen, I can hardly entrust you to anyone else. I've met the den mothers, and they're capable women." She surveyed the lamia's face. "There was an idea there Saen... what was it?"

"Do you have some sort of enchanted item we can use to keep the eggs warm and protected while we travel? Like a thick blanket or something? I'd make one myself, but my skills in that area are nonexistent, to put it mildly."

Alyssa thought for a moment, before nodding. "I'll get Lorelai to loan me her impskin bedroll, that would do the job nicely." She grinned. "Now that that's settled I believe I have eggs to see, and packing to do." She linked arms with the lamia happily

Saen nodded, and the two went up the stairs to the lamia's room. Saen opened the door and said, "There they are." Three nearly perfectly round eggs, bright red in color and looking like they were covered in crystalline sugar. Each was about the size of a man's hand. "They don't look like much, but that's our family in there."

Alyssa gazed at the eggs with wide-eyed reverance. Her hands reached out hesitantly to graze her fingers along the tops. "W-when do they hatch?"

"Six or seven days, though they will need tender care for a long time after that. Children can be such fragile things, regardless of the species." Saen began packing her things. "Hopefully, there will be someone to tend to their needs when we reach our destination."

"If nothing else I can make a pact with a brood demon." Alyssa said, not removing her eyes from the eggs. "Saen?... I've killed alot of people... sometimes for fun. Is it really okay for me to be a parent?"

"People can change, Alyssa. And if you ever take the dark path, I'll keep them, and you, safe."

_{in collaboration with @SunsetRoses}




Triss escorted them into the hall, her grip on Alphonse's hand tightening at every turn as though she was afraid of losing him if she didn't. She turned to him, looking into his blue eyes with a loving softness behind her own. ”Where are we going? Our perch is ruined...because of me.” She diverted her gaze to the floor when she brought up their secret place and how Lorelai had burned it. They would have to find a new one, and talk there instead.

"Well, that was my favorite place....inside the castle." Alphonse pulled Triss close and wrapped his shadow arm around her shoulders, dragging them both into the darkness itself with the same motion. Triss knew darkness and silence for a few moments, before she was blinded by light for a moment. The light filtered through the canopy of the forest. She heard the roar of water, and turned to see a waterfall behind them. She turned back to Alphonse and he said "This, is my favorite spot." He lead her over to some flat rocks by the rivers they could lay on and relax.

Triss blinked for a moment or two after they escaped the darkness, a feeling she still wasn't used to. When the spots in her eyes were gone, she let herself be taken to the smoother rocks. Once the arrived, she sat down, straining her legs so her feet dipped into the cool water. It was refreshing, she hadn't been outside of the castle grounds since she had arrived there. ”I've missed you dearly, Alphonse.” She said, her voice directed towards the riverbed.

Alphonse sat down on a rock that made a decent chair a fair distance from Triss. "Sorry, I didn't mean to avoid you. I've been busy lately, and....that's all a load of crap. I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me after..... Lorelai." Alphonse rested his head on one hand and drank in the beautiful woman, sitting in a beautiful field. If only she'd look at him.

Triss was surprised to hear Alphonse's voice so far away, she turned to find it, and saw him sitting in a rock that shaped itself into a suitable chair. She turned pink, and her attention moved back to the river. ”It's my fault, I should have seeked you out. Instead, I was stubborn. My apologies.” She took a deep breath, forcing the color to fade from her face before she looked at him again. ”So, your trip.”

"Oh, yeah, the trip to the abyss." Alphonse said, as if he had forgotten why they were out here. "Well, Lorelai is looking to bring the Lord of Plagues back from the abyss for use in the war. I'm feeling ambitious for once, so I'm going with her to help out. Maybe pick up a thing or two about necromancy while I'm down there, progress my career, you know how it goes." He shrugged at the end.

Triss felt her heart ache, she didn't want him to leave, but there was nothing she could do about his resolve. ”Yes, I know about the Plague Lord. Lorelai was talking about it during her meeting with Andri.” She shrugged, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her head there. ”I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you have a great learning experience.” She fiddled with the hem of her dress, picking at the stitches until they frayed.

Alphonse stood and walked closer to her. He sat down by the river bed, still just out of arm's reach. "How about you? Medusa or Lorelai dragging you into anything ridiculous?"

Triss glanced at him, crawling over until they were sitting side-by-side. The contact made her shiver, and she felt at ease. ”Not lately, but I have a new patient. His name is Andri, he has a demon in his head named Khan.” She paused, staring out past the river and into the thick of the trees. ”You know how you said I should have just talked to you, what are we supposed to talk about?”

"You had kept hiding what had happened with Matrim from me. You never explained how it had come to that position, and then when you tried to confess to Lorelai, so that she would...." Alphonse stopped for a moment, struggling to say what he meant. "I've been in the same position as you. The guilt, feeling like you don't deserve life. Or love. I just want you to tell me when you're having trouble is all. We could talk it out, or come up with solutions..." Alphonse finally stopped. What was it he was trying to say? Maybe he should just tell her how he felt when he was close to her, that had to have been a better subject than this.

”I didn't know you had ever felt that way, you're always such a carefree person. I'd like to talk to you more, if it means you'll be around.” Triss knew he was struggling to say what was on his mind, and it made him even sweeter. She wanted to lean on his shoulder, or reach out and grab his hand, but during their time in the woods he hadn't made any attempts to do the same, so it was too risky. Taking a leap of faith, she decided to approach the elephant in the room. ”I want to talk about us. We've never really...approached it.”

Alphonse's heart skipped a beat at her words. Maybe...."I know, I...I'm not sure how to go about that." He chuckled at the ridiculousness. "The witches of this Coven don't have much in the way of courtship, with men, I don't really know what to do...with someone that I really care about. I just know that I want to be with you." He put his hand next to hers, a silent invitation.

When Alphonse's hand took its place next to hers, Triss let out a breath she hadn't known she’d been holding, as relief flooded through her body. She clutched it, accepting his invitation with ease. Her heart threatened to pound its way out of her chest, and she knew with absolute certainty she wanted the same thing as Alphonse.

”That's great, actually. I don't like silly gestures, I just want to know that you share my feelings.” She looked at him, wanting to savor him. ”Can you handle me? I'm insane, an absolute nutcase.” She laughed, but her eyes were pained with the truth.

"I'm just glad to know that you're not too good to be true." Alphonse winked and smiled at her, enjoying the grip she had on his hand. "I think we'll do well together, you can reach into people's heads, and I can reach their hearts." He leaned his shoulder into hers. "I don't know what it is, but being like this here, with you makes me feel in a way that I haven't since I was a boy, just happy."

”You make me feel amazing, like a brand new person every time I see you.” Triss smiled, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. ”When we touch, I feel fulfilled, like I could never be happier. It's a joyful thing.” Triss got on her knees in front of him, holding both of his hands and enjoying the space they shared. ”I think we'll do just fine, if you don't get yourself killed in the abyss.” She laughed, bringing his hands up so she could nuzzle against them. ”I hear it's a cesspool of Succubi down there, should I be worried?”

Alphonse followed suit, kneeling before her, looking into her eyes. "I promise I'll make it back." He said solemnly. "Come hell or heaven or sexy, adulturesses, I'll make it back here. I'll make sure you're safe." Triss laughed and smiled. They looked into each other's eyes and shared a kiss. When they pulled apart, the water looked very inviting. The two spent the rest of the daylight hours swimming and laughing. Sharing stories. It was a peaceful bright day before the darkness approached.

_{in collaboration with @Whoami}



Coraline walked behind Lorelai and Elizabeth as they left the council. She was silent with one hand resting on the hilt of her longsword. Their footsteps echoed down the hallway along with the quiet conversations of passing witches who were in greater hurry. The knight had been quiet for nearly the entire council. But her mind had been active, some of it bled over to her pactmate walking just ahead of her. Confusion, duty, and envy were but a few of the feelings travelling through her thoughts. Coraline just took a deep breath and walked on in silence while Liz and Lorelai mumbled between themselves.

Lorelai bid farewell to Elizabeth as they passed the woman's new office, continuing towards her personal tower. Her footsteps slowed untill she and Coraline were side by side. "What troubles you? I don't think it's the obvious war pending, although that would be cause enough for some of it." She asked simply, breaking the silence between them.

Coraline raised a brow to Lorelai when she spoke. She figured there was no point avoiding the conversation and sighed before speaking, "I couldn't help but notice how I managed to attend that entire council without even being acknowledged. Perhaps it's because I'm not trusted around here, but regardless I feel... Under utilized. Wait."

Coraline stopped and looked to Lorelai, "I feel like you're keeping me tucked away here because I wont allow you to have this sword. Almost like I'm some sort of exotic collector's item or something. Your succubus and a score of other witches watch my every move. I didn't make this pact casually, Lorelai, I sacrificed more than one thing for the greater good."

The knight ran a mailed hand through her hair, "So Elizabeth is your general, Medusa your ally, Triss your confident, and I'm what? Your trophy? Give me a reason to stay. A reason to fight."

Lorelai stopped in suit with the knight. "You want a reason to fight? To stay?" She gestured to the witches passing them. Removing a small token from her pocket she tossed it to Coraline, on the front was engraved a portait of two very familiar little girls, and the back bore their names; Lotte and Abby Von'Strauss. "These are mine, I fight for family, I'm sure you can understand that."

"I don't know what you are to me Coraline, I like to think of us as friends most days. You've made no pledge to my cause, so far the only thing we share is each other's thoughts and a mutual fear of the blade you bear." Lorelai explained calmly. "Tell me what you want to be. Do you want to be my champion? Do you want to be a simple soldier? Or would you prefer to flee this castle before the bloodshed begins?"

"Would you bind yourself deeper into a legacy of flame and darkness Coraline? Our enemies will be many, and we may never know peace." Her eyes bored into the knight's as she awaited her answer.

"I'm not going to leave this castle behind as long as there are children in it. If you want me to be your champion than aye, I will be. But I'm not going to put an end to my goal. When those hunters come, I will turn them back. There will be no bloodshed, I swear it." Coraline paused, "But I'll never pledge myself to you, Lorelai, and here's why. This pact we've made doesn't place one above the other. You are not my master just as I am not yours. And we are bound in such a way where we should be watching over eachother to preserve ourselves. I've already made my intentions clear to fight with you, but not for you. I need to know this is going to be returned."

"I understand." Lorelai fetched a small crystal rod from her robes, it pulsed with a deep red light as she handed it to Coraline. "This is a psycopomp. Go make your attempt at peace, tell them we're no threat to them or their's. When their hatred gets the better of them, and they try to kill you, break this and it will return you safe and sound to the castle."

"When you're satisfied that what we do here is neccessary I'll send you against Baga-yaga." Lorelai offered the knight a small smile. "I need to know that you trust me, and that you believe that what I do, I do for the reasons I say."

"I trust you, Lorelai. And if I'm going to make peace, I'm going to need your trust back. This wont be settled simply with me walking into Seren's Folly and talking to them. They're going to want something as proof that you're serious. Give them something you normally wouldn't, an artifact or information. This wouldn't be the first war I've averted, Lorelai."

Lorelai thought for a moment. "... What would you recommend? Hector Digard's Holy Blade? Or the location of an infamous mind witch that has managed to escape my ire, what with multiple wars threatening." She saw the wisdom in Coraline's words, and while she didn't extend much hope, satisfying the knight's wishes was reward enough for parting with either offering.

Coraline had felt a confidence in herself that she hadn't felt since she first arrived in Seren's Folly. When asked about what to give, Coraline responded, "Both. The blade would appease the Digards in the wake of Flint's death. And if this witch is that much of a problem, then it wouldn't hurt to tailor the story in such a way that she is manipulating the entire conflict. It would diver the hunters' attention. I will oversee the hunt myself to act in your presence."

Coraline took a breath and looked around the corridors, "If this conflict is something you truly want to avoid, then no price is too great to see it done."

"Unless I begin to hemorrhage vital resources to appease ever increasing demands." Lorelai cautioned, but they were both aware of that. Nodding she turned towards her tower again. "Both it is then, should I send a letter to the Digards along with the blade? To explain that I'm just trying to raise a family and live in peace?"

She chuckled. "Diplomacy has never been my strong suit, hard to bargain down from murderous intent. I'll be leaning on your expertise in this."

Coraline nodded, "Aye a letter would be good idea."

The knight took a step closer to Lorelai to speak in a quieter voice, "And between you and I, Medusa is not a trustworthy ally. Perhaps it would be a good idea to include in your letter that the Von'Strauss coven wont act alongside them if the time ever comes. she paused, "These terms will, at the very least cause, the hunters to reevaluate the situation. If you, Lorelai Von'Strauss, are wiling to go through so much strides to stop this. Then surely there is more at stake; which you and I both know there is. A war like this isn't a good idea when the greater threat approaches."

"I'll... consider selling out Medusa. I agree with her trustworthiness, but her supporters are my sisters too, and I'm loathe to see them die if I don't have to." Lorelai matched Coraline's hushed tones. "The issue it to present it in such a light that it doesn't seem like an ill-advised bid for survival. I think selling out a fellow would do a great deal to confirm their opinion of me as a manipulative survivor with no sense of loyalty. If I could fight that I'd have made an appearance myself." She chuckled bitterly.

"For now I'll ask you to read over my letter, and ensure that it's effective." Lorelai paused as they reached the stairs up to her study. "I'm sure you're aware that I don't put much hope in this Coraline, but don't mistake that for a lack of confidence in you. I do wish you the best of luck."

Coraline agreed to her and went up the stairs at Lorelai's side. "I will see this through. But I have one last request, and it might hurt. If we're going to paint this witch as the one pulling the strings behind this conflict, we need to sell it. When I leave, injure me. It will make everything seem more desperate and real."

"Sure, I'd love to, you've been driving me batty for weeks." Lorelai winked, giggling at her joke.

"I think I've had it worse." Coraline grinned, "Yours and Liz' activities in the bedchamber aren't exactly secret to me, and it's practically been torture since that began."

Lorelai laughed. "It's cute you think we restrict that to the bedchambers, but I won't burst your bubble, Coraline." She smiled mischievously. "Besides, you're getting all the fun with none of the work. Although I suppose the unpredictability might be vexing. Just consider it... training... or something."

_{in collaboration with @shagranoz}



Rebecca headed into the castle gardens. She'd heard Elizabeth was here, and she wanted to find out her role in the General's plans.

The dragon knight was writing some sort of orders in the main pavilion. "Greetings, Elizabeth. How goes the plotting and scheming this fine day?"

Elizabeth looked up from her papers to view Rebecca, the girl's name was spreading through the castle like wildfire, but Elizabeth hadn't the time to worry about rumors. She noted the girl's rotting flesh, and shrugged, it wasn't the strangest thing she had seen. ”Hello Rebecca, please take a seat.” She pointed at the benches the lowly demons had arranged before her. Right now the demons were inspecting the gardens to see how the food was growing, as she had commanded them to.

Once Rebecca was seated, Elizabeth's face hardened slightly. Rebecca was a summoner, one of the many witches who would be on the front line, protecting the castle and triggering traps for unsuspecting victims. It was the hardest job, and so far all the younger summoners had cried when they were finished.

”So, Rebecca, you will be one of the many summoners positioned on the front line.” Elizabeth pushed a packet towards her. The contents included a list of rules, and another list with the map of traps that would be closest to Rebecca's station. There were also a few pages on what to do if caught under enemy fire: fall back immediately and soldier witches will be dispatched to your post. ”Tell me what supplies you will need to keep a steady stream of magic going, if you would. Can I have a brief description of your ability as well?”

"Hmm. There won't be much I'll need you to give me, save time and some servants to go hunting. I'll be after wolves, bear, and boar mostly, though I could adapt some spells
to find use for other creatures. As for what I do, I raise the dead. Zombies and shades a specialty."

Elizabeth was curious to learn more about Rebecca's interesting power, but instead of prying, she kept a cool face and nodded along. ”Of course, I can do that immediately. I have a few demons under my command at the moment, and I will give you three to hunt with.” That would leave Elizabeth with one demon, but she didn't have much work to do anyways. ”If you need subjects that are more...fresh, come to me and I will see that you get what you want.”

"Actually, there is something fresh I need. A bird corpse, preferably a robin, but anything similar will do." She looked around. "Truth be told, I have no idea whether I can make this spell work. Moving consciousnesses around is... something I haven't been able to do yet. Some of the masters of the art could do it, though, so I know it's possible."

Elizabeth snapped, and in an instant all four of her demonic servants were there, ready to do whatever she asked. She called one forth with the crook of her finger, whispered something in its ear, and sent them all off on their task. God, I can get use to that. She gave Rebecca a lopsided smile, and continued their discussion. ”We'll see what they can do about your bird problem. As far as your power being unmastered, that is okay. All of those who are unsure about their strength will be sent with two soldier-witches, you will also be triggering traps...so you are going to be able to participate.” She tried to encourage Rebecca, hoping it didn't sound too rough.

"Oh, don't worry. Calling the dead back is surprisingly easy, once you know how it's done. The bird is simply something special. I'm going to try to transfer my mind into its corpse so I can spy on the hunters." Rebecca smiled. "Like I said, I've never been able to actually get this spell to work, but I know I'm close."

Elizabeth nodded, Rebecca was a genius. If she managed this spell, she could be given a special opportunity to join the espionage group. ”If you can pull this off, I'll give you another option.” Elizabeth said softly, tapping the stone table she was using as her desk.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Rebecca asked, intrigued.

At that moment, the demons returned, three carrying robins, the fourth, a bluejay. One of the robins was missing a wing, the second had a cleanly snapped neck, and the third was... decapitated, macabrely enough. The bluejay, meanwhile, was such a mangled mess, Rebecca needed several seeconds to identify it. She glared at the demon holding it. "You don't do subtlety well, do you?" Her eyes turned to the second demon. "Well, I'd say it's obvious which one is in the best condition." She took the bird in her hand and laid it on the ground. "The body I'm in now will be inert when I'm in the corpse. I'll need someone to stand watch while I'm away."
squeezed her hand

Elizabeth patted the demon who had been glared at on the back, a strange noise emanated from its gut as it pushed against her palm. After that, she slowly retracted her hand. ”Good job, all of you. Go observe the workers in the gardeb, come back when I call.” They dismissed themselves, and Elizabeth watched Rebecca with piqued interest. ”I'll be doing that for now, later it will be either a soldier-witch or a member of your new group.”

Rebecca started drawing sigils and runes in the dirt around the bird, going over her work several times. She knew from experience that the spell would fizzle out if the symbols were made incorrectly. Then, she went over to a diffent spot and dug out a wriggling worm. Placing the worm's tail in the bird's mouth, she intoned, "As he feeds upon thee, so death feeds upon life." Rebecca completed the ritual by squeezing the worm to death.

There was a bright flash, and Rebecca's human body slumped to the ground, utterly still. The bird hopped to its feet and opened its mouth, speaking in an unsettling voice (though the fact that it was speaking at all was unsettling enough.) "I-I can't believe it! The ritual actually worked!"

Elizabeth bent down, gently picking up Rebecca's body and carrying it the way one would a baby. Surprisingly, the dead weight didn't seem to affect Liz, all another perk of being a Dragon Knight. She looked down at the bird before her, watching its limp neck crane as words burbled out of it's mouth. ”That's an impressive feat, Rebecca. I'm sure the body of a bird is much different than that of a human's though, why don't you stretch your wings? I'll take care of your body, when you're done, come back and we'll discuss your new options.”

With a quick flap of her wings, Rebecca took off, rising to a height of about twenty feet before going into a power dive. Unfortunately, she didn't pull up in time and crashed beak-first. "Ouch! You're right, this is going to take some practice." Mentally, she intoned the counterspell, and her normal form came back to unlife.

Elizabeth flinched at the failed dive, but she assumed it couldn't get much worse for the dead bird. Suddenly, Rebecca woke up in Elizabeth's arms, and the bird went limp on the ground. Elizabeth set Rebecca down on a bench, just in case she was a bit dazed. Then, Elizabeth picked up the dead robin, tucking in its wings respectfully and handing it off to Rebecca.

”I believe, you may have earned yourself a position in Espionage. That is, if you want to take it. What you accomplished was something that could be perfect for stealth missions, and it could spare a lot of lives if a bird was to be caught instead of your teammates.” Elizabeth picked up the Espionage packet, showing it off to Rebecca and waiting for her answer.

"A most intriguing proposition. However, I have a question for you, before we begin. I know little of Hunters and their ways. Do they have some method for detecting a witch's mind? If so, that could well prove fatal to me."

Elizabeth thought, scanning her memory of all the hunters in Seren's Folly. None had the amazing ability to detect a witch, unless they were revealing themselves quite obviously. ”No, there aren't any who can sense the minds of witches. As long as you act like a bird, you'll be fine. There are two wolves, one named Mishka, they can sense demons but I'm quite certain they can't sniff out the mind of a witch in the body of a bird.”

Elizabeth's brow furrowed, there would always be a chance of them sniffing Rebecca out. She didn't want to risk it, but Rebecca’s bird could save many, and it could flee much faster than a group of witches. ”If you are caught, you will know because of their barking. The second you hear that, you flee. The one of main concern would be Flint, if he's...still alive.” She choked, clearing her throat and carrying on. ”This position is optional, I'm only asking you take it into consideration.”

"I will gladly take it, and help with the defenses as well. Don't worry, when the fighting comes, I won't shy away." She picked herself up and took her bird with her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I have some flying practice to do."

Elizabeth smiled brightly at the girl, watching her walk off to go explore her new wings. Elizabeth was glad Rebecca was so receptive, definitely one of the easiest meetings she had had all day. There were a few more she had to have with those she knew, and the one she was least excited about had to be Triss’. The mind witch was sure to be difficult, with no concern about punishments from Lorelai. She snapped her fingers, calling for her demons. They came, and she made them play in front of her. It was entertaining, and sometimes the would toss her a pine cone to include her. Despite everything she had once known about demons, these four were starting to grow on her.

In collaboration with @SunsetRoses


Triss stood outside of Alphonse's door, an old tome from the library in one hand as she bit the nails of the other. She was going to tell him, about her relationship with Sousiel. It was only fair, to him and to everyone. She figured he should get to know before she went off to Tellurian with Sousiel, otherwise she could do something regrettable and make him upset. She also wanted to talk to him in general, maybe scan the book she had and make random guesses as to which witch was her ancestor. Yes, she thought, finally in agreement with herself. That would be lovely.

Removing her chewed nails from her mouth, she knocked on his door, soft and tentative. ”Alphonse, are you in there, dear?” Was dear too much? She cursed under her breath, resting her forehead against the glossy finish of the wooden door.

Triss waited at Alphonse's for a long moment. She fidgeted nervously and shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Finally, she gave up and turned down the hall only for her heart to leap at the sight of Alphonse approaching from the opposite direction. Alphonse's face split into a grin as he saw his lover standing near his door.

"Why, hello my dear." Alphonse said, hoping he wasn't overstepping himself with the pet name. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" He came close to her and took her hand in his, ready to open the door so that the two could slip inside. He smelled different, like rose water and rich soil. Had he been walking funny?

Triss watched him step towards her, a gait that was slightly different than normal. She didn't question it, but his new scent made her cock an eyebrow. It smelled just like the roses Sousiel had given her, with an earthy undertone. His sweet words cut off any suspicion, and she let him grasp her hand.

They walked inside of his room, and by then she had framed her answer. ”I wanted to talk to you, because I think our relationship should be honest.” She turned pink, and took a seat at his desk, turning the chair to face him. ”I-I may have made Sousiel fall in love with me. Now, I have a...thing with her? I wanted to know how you feel about that.” She congratulated herself mentally, for getting straight to the point with little hesitation.

Alphonse blinked at her for a moment, utterly confused. "Um, I definitely agree that we should be honest with each other....when you say make her love you, do you mean with your power? What kind of thing do you have with her exactly?" He took her to a chair, so that they could sit and talk.

Triss scratched the back of her head, having to think for a moment about her current predicament with Sousiel. A heartbeat later, she had everything sorted out. ”Well, it started with me using my powers. Then, after the effects wore off, she confessed her love to me and said she was mine.” Triss almost laughed, but she realized how serious the moment was, and how confused Alphonse looked. ”She has feelings now, because I brought them out into the open. About an hour ago, she brought me roses and asked about my life.”

Roses? Alphonse hadn't gotten her flowers before...he felt a sudden surge of jealousy and guilt. Didn't Sousiel know that he loved Triss? That's right, he had told her he didn't...crap. He hadn't even told Triss yet.... not in so many words. "How do you feel about her?" Was all he could ask as he tried to sort out his own thoughts and emotions.

Triss was in a dangerous position, that question could break both of their hearts if she wasn't careful with it. She took Alphonse's hand, squeezing it and smiling up at him. ”I care for her, but not in the same way I care for you.” She didn't know if he would understand that, but she wasn't quite sure how she could elaborate without hurting him. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her mouth gaped open a few times but no words came out.

Alphonse returned the squeeze. He could see that she was worried. He took a deep breath. "Triss, I love you." There. He'd said it. "That's how I care about you." He paused.

Triss felt her heart soar, pounding so hard it threatened to leap out of her chest. This is what she had wanted from Alphonse, to be loved by him. She decided right then that she would do everything she could to make him happy. ”I love you too, Alphonse.” She whispered, having to keep her voice low so she wouldn't explode. She got up, leaning in to hug him. ”What do you want me to do about Sousiel?”

Alphonse held Triss tightly in his arms, elated to confirm what he had hoped they could have. About Sousiel though... "Well, Sousiel is my friend, one of my best..." Alphonse paused to consider the bro code. He wasn't entirely sure if Sousiel was moving on his girl, because he had had sex with her first, or if he was moving on hers, because Sousiel had technically confessed love first.... "I don't want to hurt her, and if you care about her....I don't know, I guess we can try to work something out." Alphonse pulled Triss onto his lap and kissed her cheek, then her neck. "I don't care who loves you, so long as you love me." he whispered in her ear. Alphonse wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but it didn't seem to make sense to hurt a good friend. Besides, it wasn't as if he bought into the outside world's ideas of monogamy, it only seemed to cause trouble when the witches tried it.

Triss looked up at him with starstruck eyes, she wrapped her hands around his neck, and pressed herself closer to him. ”That's great. I want you to know, that I love you first and foremost.” She paused, looking deep into his eyes and wondering what he hid behind them. ”Promise me something. Even if you have sex with Sousiel, or if you try to woo her with gifts, you'll always love me just a little more. Please?”

She waited for his answer, burying her face into his chest and taking in his new scent. ”Why do you smell so different, babe?” Triss asked, quiet enough that she may not have been heard.

"Of course, I'll always love you most." Alphonse said immediately, he didn't even need to think about it. Why would he have sex with Sousiel? It wasn't like she was really cute, with her cat ears, and lithe athletic body.... capacity for destruction....ok, it could happen. He chuckled to himself at her other question. "Oh, I was just fulfilling a request from one of the Green Witch families. I think they doubt my ability to return from the abyss, so their matriarch arranged a meeting with two of their scions."

The scions? He must have had fun talking with royals. Triss looked up at him, smiling merrily. ”Really? You met with scions? Tell me about it! I've never talked to someone royal!” Then her face fell as she remembered his awkward gait. ”Is that why you were walking funny? Did they do something to you?” A promise of death flashed in her eyes, her demeanor shifting slightly.

Alphonse suddenly sensed that he was in grave danger...he couldn't say why, but he suddenly felt as if he were on a mission, after a mark.... or perhaps he was the mark evading death? Either way, his instincts roared of danger. Still, he was with his love. Steve could keep an eye out for them. "Yeah, it was pretty fun. A noble house will invite me to their wing of the castle, and treat me well, good food, good drink. Introduce everyone involved. You know, to make the whole thing less weird. Then me and the Scions....I want to say their names were Belle, and Petunia, we went to the garden, where they did their special rite. Most of the families have one for this kind of thing, and I got filled up with all sorts of aphrodisiacs. So, yeah, we had sex in the garden so that they could have babies that were more likely to be witches. It was pretty fun." Alphonse finished casually, though he felt a mounting sense of foreboding as he spoke.

Triss’ heart slowly broke apart as Alphonse told her his story, the entire time he looked so casual, and that made it even worse. They had agreed on Sousiel, but he hadn't even thought about telling her that he slept with women on the side. He wouldn't have told her if she hadn't asked. She looked down, her eyes twitching and her body shaking. Her hands readjusted themselves, wrapping around his throat. She gave it a nice long squeeze, looking up at him with a faux smile. Would it feel more satisfying if she did the deed with her own hands? She would need to run a few tests before making a conclusion.

”Glad you had fun, Alphonse.” She said, her heart had stitched itself back together, to experience the pleasure of hurting him in full. She wondered how many children were out there, that he didn't even care about. ”Look at me Alphonse, it's time for us to have a little fun together.” She winked, her eyes already glowing with beams of green light.

Alphonse tried to ask what was wrong, he didn't believe her words when she said she was glad he had fun, her tone was off. Still he gladly looked into her eyes, it seemed that he had hurt her. He wanted to comfort her, but he was caught unawares by the sudden intrusion of her dread power.

Triss was in his mind easily, and the first thing she looked for was grief. She wanted him to feel just as bad as she did, and maybe that would make her feel better. If it didn't, she would have to see about having sex with Sousiel. There was plenty grief there, so much so that she could feel it without even bothering to look for it. She looked to see what he was feeding off of while they were together, and it made her heart swell to see love...and a bit of concern. That wasn't enough to dissuade her though, she still planned on having her fun.

Alphonse's mind could have been that of a psychopath, every time Triss looked around she had to stop and cringe. A sense of jealousy for someone Triss couldn't pick out, a deep hatred for someone else. A subtle pride in what he did even though it was obvious that he loathed it. All these scars were deep and hideous, but they were covered by a thin veil of true affection. Triss guessed it was for her, and that just made her feel worse about what she had to do. Not wanting to target the things that were covered, she went for an older emotion, something he had long since tried to bury. It stood still in the back of his mind, sadness, anger, simple things that had swelled into monsters.

Triss gathered a ball of it into her arms and placed it in the front of his mind, next to his love for her instead of in front of it. She pulled out, and pushed herself out of his arms, she felt like she didn't deserve her spot there. She made her way over to his bed, watching him but not daring to say a word.

Alphonse sat trembling, looking at his own hands. Memories he had long ignored, that he thought were irrelevant to him now were flitting across his mind. Laughing, mocking, children, the grimace of a passing woman, as if she had had the misfortune to see something unpleasant. Stones that would often strike him out of nowhere while he was trying to scrounge for food. Worst were the keening wails. The wails of a drunken mad woman in the dead of night. "Why won't he come back to meeee!" They would wail, "I didn't mean to break my promise." she would blubber in the moldy sheet of their most recent squat. Tears streamed down Alphonse's face as he stood up from the chair. The weight of the memories hung heavy in his chest. Even in this coven, he had been isolated and alone. He preferred it that way, it made things easier. He hadn't felt the pain of it like this in years. He looked at Triss. He wanted to go to her, to take comfort in her warm embrace, but she had done this to him. "Well?" He asked, the smile, for once gone from his face. "Are you happy with what you found in my head? What the hell was that?!" He almost shouted the last words. He was frustrated. He knew that he should run, but was also certain that he had nowhere to go. Nowhere but back to her.... "Why did you do this to me?"

Triss watched him as he deteriorated, but she couldn't find the words to say to make him feel better. She was atrocious, but every time she confirmed this with herself, she went back to the same old. When he stood and looked at her, red marks from tears streaming down his face, she felt tears of her own gather in her eyes. She didn't allow them to fall, it wasn't fair to him.

His tone killed her, alongside his words. She found herself with her head in her lap, protecting herself from them. ”I suppose I'm satisfied, I looked inside your head and found your scars all covered up by the love you had for me...that was nice.” She answered, in response to his first question. ”I did it because, I was upset. Would you have told me about your meetings with noble women, had I not asked? If I wasn't able to see that you love me, I would have always questioned your feelings for me. I would have thought I was a toy.”

Alphonse stood for a long moment breathing heavily. Slowly, the images left his head. He realized that he still had others within the castle. Lorelai, Sousiel, Clarisa if he could ever get back in touch with her. Still, the love he felt remained, though it was now accompanied with caution. Should he be guilty? She attacked him, still he understood her feelings. He slumped back into his chair, suddenly very tired. "Triss, I'm sorry if my words hurt you, but you have nothing to fear there. The only reason I hadn't brought it up was because they literally meant nothing to me. They'll make a show of false affection, and use me for my seed to make the children they desire. I'm the toy. It's something I do for some of the witches around here. They say my blood is especially pure, they literally call me prime breeding stock, like a horse, or a dog. I'm sorry, I thought you knew, learning under Medusa's wing. She'd always made her opinion of me clear." He laughed wryly. "Please don't ever do that to me again."

Triss stood up, pushing her chair away and standing in front of him instead. She had messed up, and maybe that would become more clear to her in the future, but for now she knew that a part of him still belonged to her. That was encouraging, but she made no move to touch him. Instead, she raised her hand and crossed it over her heart. ”I promise to never manipulate your mind again...unless I want to have sex and you aren't in the mood.” She laughed, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. She didn't bring up the fact that since the war efforts were over, Medusa had not spoken to her. She also didn't tell him that no one wanted to teach her, mainly because they were afraid and they had every right to be.

Alphonse snorted a laugh at her promise. He crooked a finger at her, beckoning her closer. "Speaking of being in the mood..." He said, spreading his legs to reveal the outline of his mood against his leg.
"Oh," Triss breathed, before coming to him. They embraced in a kiss before Triss whispered in his ear. "Now how can I make you happy again?"

_{in collaboration with @SunsetRoses}



Sousiel roamed the halls of the castle in a daze. She'd missed most of the meeting, coming in for the last bits before roaming again. An alien thing fluttered in her chest, and with it came strange urges and desires she had no idea how to express. The desire to consume, gently, and ravage, sweetly. Paradoxical things she hadn't felt since her and Lorelai were young and stupid.

Eventually she found her way to Lorelai's office, pushing open the door she was met with Elizabeth's face instead of her mistress'. "Right... she did say she was giving you her office didn't she..." Sousiel sighed and went to sit in one of the chairs anyway, she didn't really have anywhere else to go. "I'm at your service Liz, yadda yadda, you get the idea right?" She smiled weakly at the huntress.

Elizabeth hadn't been expecting anyone for about an hour, so when the door swung open and Sousiel stepped inside, it was a pleasant surprise. She pushed aside the paper she had just finished, watching Sousiel as the demon sat down in a chair and gave her the weakest smiles she had seen from the girl. ”Sousiel, what's the matter? You look like the life has been sucked out of you.”

"It has, I'm dying." Sousiel stated melodramatically, resting her chin on Elizabeth's desk. Another wistful sigh escaped her lips. She looked for a long moment at the knight, realizing that she might have the answers she was hoping Lorelai would. "Elizabeth? Tell me about love."

Elizabeth rested her head on her knuckles, staring blankly at the demon and waiting for her to say it was a joke. When the demon didn't give her any signs, Elizabeth’s mouth gaped. ”Okay...I'll tell you about love after you tell me why you're so curious.” Did demons feel love? Why was Sousiel so interested, and why was she acting like this?

"I want to fall in love." Sousiel sighed yet again, laying her cheek against the cool desk. "I don't want to want to fall in love... if that makes sense, but I do."

"There's a witch out there, that hurt me really good, and stole my heart." Sousiel covered her face with her hand before Elizabeth could see the blush crawling over her face. "And I've got no clue what to do with all this... fluttering." She groaned impotently.

Elizabeth grinned, pride and joy worming their way into her open heart. Sousiel was in love, a phrase she wasn't sure the demon would ever dream of saying. ”That's wonderful news, Sousiel. The fluttering is a natural reaction, a sign that you have true feelings for this witch of yours. It won't go away, in my case, the flutters have never ceased with Lorelai.” Elizabeth poked Sousiel's cheek, her grin spreading further still.

”I know why you're afraid, but you shouldn't be. Love is a natural thing, a beautiful thing, once you catch feelings you shouldn't ignore them.” Elizabeth chuckled, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms. ”Wait until Lorelai hears about this! It will be so magical!”

"I don't know about natural, or wonderful, mostly it's just confusing." Sousiel sat up, encouraged by Elizabeth's excitement. She'd never admit it, but she was impressed with the new knight. If she thought it was a good thing, then it must be true. "Maybe we don't tell Lorelai though? I don't want her to know if I fail..."

"...What do I do now though? I'm in love, but what's next?" Sousiel said shyly, yet another emotion she was incapable of the day previous.

”The confusion will give way to wonder, trust me.” Elizabeth stated, confident so Sousiel wouldn't be dissuaded. The girl was experiencing new things, and she had to be introduced to them slowly or it would be more trouble than it's worth. Elizabeth felt quite honoured that Sousiel had decided to talk to her, the girl being like extended family, but she wouldn't admit that even if she was under torture.

”I won't tell Lorelai, but when you snag this girl of yours you have to tell her.” Elizabeth winked, loving the new emotions in Sousiel. It was quite interesting to hear the demon's shy tones. ”Now, you begin developing. Work with her more often, speak to her when you get the chance, share comfort. You can't just love her and be done with it, think of your love as a...a plant. It needs to be nurtured from the ground up, and soon it will bare fruit for years to come.”

Sousiel's eyes widened as it dawned on her that this could be a life-long affliction. 'No, not affliction, blessing. Don't defeat yourself before you begin.' She chided herself internally. She nodded in resolve as she threw herself across the table to hug her mentor. "Thanks!"

She turned and lept from the table to the door, grinning brightly. "Nurture it like a plant." she repeated to herself as she opened the door. "Nurture it like normal people nurture a plant, I don't think she meant I should burn Triss for fun." She spun whismically as she stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Elizabeth watched Sousiel leave, spinning down the hall like a dancer as she repeated her new mantra. It was adorable, she decided awkwardly. ’It would be most tragic if she failed, but the trials of love will serve her justly over time.’ Elizabeth shrugged the thought off, still wondering just how the lucky unnamed witch snagged a demon's heart, and who she would have to kill if Sousiel came to her crying.

---

The next few hours saw Sousiel skipping about the castle in search for Triss, before the demon realized that she had a room. A scared witch coughed up its location after surprisingly few threats, sending her skipping off with purpose towards the western dormitories.

She'd paused only long enough to retrieve a small bag of toys from her room, and a vase full of flowers they had been discarding from the gardens. She smiled her heart throbbing in her chest, and managed to still her tembling hand before knocking at Triss' door. "Triss? Its Sousiel, do you have some time to play?"

Triss brushed through the tangles in her hair, a process she hadn't bothered with in some time. The wooden handle was unfinished and left the beginning of calluses in her palm. Her time with Alphonse had been heavenly, they traded stories and simply enjoyed one another. She wanted to be with him, not in anything serious yet because they were both still young, but in a deep relationship that wouldn't be broken by sillier things.

A knock came on her door, and the voice that followed made Triss feel a bit warm. She set down her brush, picking splinters from her hand as she went to open the door. ”I'll always have time for you, Sousiel.” She stated, her voice teasing and airy. Triss gestured towards the room, allowing Sousiel to come inside and get comfortable. ”I'm surprised you bothered to knock, pleasantly surprised.”

"I almost forgot." Sousiel said sheepishly as she stepped into the room. She set the vase of roses in the window-sill so they could bathe in the evening light. Her eyes roamed over the room as if it were a place of wonder, examining each of Triss' personal effects as if they held some wondrous secret.

Once she'd sated her curiousity she sat gently on the edge of Triss' bed, her hands clutching her small bag. "I brought some stuff to do." She began rummaging through her belongings. "I have a chess board, although I'm not very good. I have a sketch book, I was hoping to draw a portrait maybe, that I'm kinda good at. I have a music box and some plates if you wanted to listen, or maybe dance. I have a rubber ball... for rubber ball stuff." She laid out each item on the floor as she named it.

Once her bag was empty she looked back up to Triss shyly. "Or we can just talk... I dunno how this works, sorry." She grinned. "But at least I brought flowers."

Triss marveled at the roses now sitting on her windowsill, she stood and took in their beautiful fragrance as Sousiel pulled items from her bag. Each time she named something, Triss’ heart swelled. Not because she wanted to play with the toys -though that rubber ball was more than tempting- but because Sousiel had tried, for her. It was endearing, and Triss took one of the roses from the vase, handing it off to Sousiel.

”It's all amazing, every last thing. The centerpiece is you, though. You enchant this drab room.” Triss wrapped her arms around the poor demon who had become infatuated by her. ”I'll do whatever you please.”

Sousiel turned a light shade of pink at Triss' compliment. She marveled at the sway this insane witch's words held over her heart, which throbbed happily in her chest. "I have alot of questions. I want to learn everything about you." She fought to keep her voice steady.

She nuzzled into Triss' embrace, burying her face in the girl's shoulder. "C-can I have a kiss first though?" She wondered mildly if her face would burst into flames. Say what you will about love, but it had a way of making her feel young and silly that remains unmatched in her centuries.

”There's not much to learn, but I'll do my best. You're the one with the vast history.” She laughed, stroking Sousiel's head with a gentle touch. She pulled away and tilted Sousiel's head up with her finger, staring into her gorgeous eyes. She leaned in, and gave Sousiel a lingering kiss. When she was ready to pull away, she met Sousiel with a smirk. ”What would you like to know first?”

Sousiel blinked several times as the warmth on her lips bounced sweetly about her head, completely demolishing her train of thought. A silly grin curved her lips as she regained a modicum of focus. "Right! I can't just ask for a life story, I should parcel this out."

She thought for a moment. "Ok, where were you born, where did you grow up, who were your parents, did you like them, when did you discover your magic." She wrapped her arms around Triss' waist affectionately. "And can we play catch while we talk?"

Something sparked in Triss in that moment, a yearning to find out more about herself. She knew all the basic questions, but who was she really? No one in her family -that she knew of- was a witch, she was disconnected from her parents because they weren't like her, they never would be like her. She frowned for just a second, then the happiness swept over her face at Sousiel's hug. She moved away from the girl and grabbed the rubber ball, tossing it back and forth between her hands before throwing it at Sousiel to catch.

”I come from Tamar, a town of wealthy merchants and peasant farmers.” Triss’ eyes sparkled, nostalgia filling her. The denizens of the town treated her like the scum on their shoes, but it was her home. Someday she would return, see her parents and the inevitable child they had had to replace her. ”I was born and raised there, my parents were kind...but staying there would have ruined their good reputation. They were in the top layer of peasants, I bet they're doing even better now.”

She forced a laugh, choking on a sob that rose in her throat without warning. ”My powers came when I got into a fight with some other girls. I made them fight each other, looking back now it was pretty fun to watch.”

"That does sound fun to watch!" Sousiel caught the ball and returned it, continuing their game. "Mind powers are cool, the Tellurian sounds amaaaaazing." Sousiel giggled.

"So... your parents weren't witches? Or at least your mother?" Sousiel tilted her head in curiousity. "That can't have been easy, leaving home with no idea of your legacy. It must have been lonely." She looked saddened by the thought of the tragedy. "Have you ever thought about trying to find out who your sorcerous ancestor was?"

Triss tilted her head, what was a Tellurian? Was it a place in the abyss? If so, why hadn't Sousiel visited before? ”I'm sure it's a lovely place, where is it, here or the abyss?” Triss was puzzled, but she set it aside to answer Sousiel's other questions. ”They weren't witches, not a drop of magic in them. I checked up to my great great grandmothers on each side, no witches. It was lonely, but I've never thought of searching for my ancestors.” She paused, remembering her first day in the castle as she continued their game. ”Medusa said she couldn't find a Felminah in her books, so I just gave up.”

"The Tellurian is...," Sousiel paused for a moment with the ball in her hands as she struggled to remember the discussion Lorelai and her had years ago. "It's the 'collective unconcious of humanity'." She quoted before resuming their game. "Apparently dreameaters, memory thieves, and nightmares live there. Also the fey, but they're elusive."

"Your ancestor wouldn't likely share your surname, so I'm not surprised it wasn't in one of Medusa's books." Sousiel grinned. "I could help you look later if you want, I'm pretty familiar with the library."

Triss nodded, understanding calming her features. She wanted to go there, to this plane of dreams. It seemed like the perfect place for her, full of mysteries and darkness. Everyone else was going somewhere, Alphonse to the abyss, Andri on his special trips, she wanted to go somewhere too. ”I think that's a great place for me to learn about my powers. Thank you for telling me. I just need to find someone to take me.” She smiled, a natural grin returning to her face.

”You would be a great help, if you have the time you may find me in the library tonight. Or, I may already be gone. I want to head out as soon as possible, so I can return and help with the war efforts.” Triss sighed, the next few days would be horribly busy and she couldn't spend it all researching. ”Speaking of which, I need to go talk to Blondie about my position.”

Work with her more often, speak to her when you get the chance, share comfort. This was a golden opportunity! Thank Lorelai for Elizabeth! "I-I'll come with you if you want!" Sousiel offered, smiling brightly. "I've always wanted to go anyway." While that was certainly true, Sousiel's primary motivations were plain on her face.

Triss read Sousiel's eager face, the girl was good. She had suggested a trip where they could bond, and be mostly alone, and Triss had to commend her. Triss also wanted someone who could navigate things more easily, and no one was better qualified than Sousiel, at least...not in her mind. ”I'd love to bring you along, think of it as a date. Do you have any plans to fulfill, or can we be off? Of course we'll need to pack, but we'll concern ourselves with that as it comes.” Triss kissed Sousiel on the forehead, giving her an open invitation to come along.

"Yay!" Sousiel danced an internal victory dance. A date, and another kiss! This is how it starts, just like Elizabeth and her mistress said. She'd nurture this little flower of hers until it was mighty, striding boldly where no demon had gone before. "Just let me tell Lorelai I'll be going, and borrow some of her books, then I'll be ready to leave."

Triss blushed, it was so exciting to see Sousiel happy. She hoped Alphonse felt this way, when they were together. ”Of course, tell her I'll return you in top shape with a full mind.” Triss winked, knowing how severely she would be punished if Sousiel came home broken. ”Meanwhile, I'll get our picnic together, as well as some other things I presume we'll need for the trip. I should tell Alphonse I'll be leaving, and Andri.” Triss said, mainly as an afterthought. She then gave Sousiel another squeeze, before going around her room and collecting a few necessities.

Her smile was somewhat lopsided as Triss turned to collect her things. Perhaps Sousiel should have mentioned that the Tellurian was an insanely dangerous mindscape, and that the chances of them escaping unscathed was essentially zero. "I'll meet you back here tonight then, night's the best conduit to open the way there I believe." She shrugged internally. She'd blazed her way through the blood and dark of the inferno, and what's a little existential horror between lovers anyway right?

---

Sousiel strode into her mistress' room nervously. She was aware of how poorly the timing of her little trip came, but she'd never asked anything of her mistress before, and she was hopeful. "Lorelai?"

Lorelai looked up from her maps of the abyss. Charting extraplanar journeys was a task that required a keen eye and a master's precision. There was the shifting nature of the Far Realms to consider, as well as the strange flow of time. One misstep and a traveler could find themselves losing an era in the material world. "Yes Sousiel?"

"I've been invited on a trip to the Tellurian, and I really want to go. I know now's a bad time, but I'll work twice as hard when I get back!" Sousiel pleaded with her mistress.

"A trip to the Tel- Sousiel? Have you gone mad? The Tellurian is not a pleasure destination." Lorelai surveyed the demon suspiciously, her nostrils flaring. "Sousiel, darling, who invited you on this expedition? And why would you consider such a dangerous endeavor?"

"Uh...She's a mind witch that wants to become stronger. I just want to help." Sousiel fidgeted nervously.

"Sousiel... that's not a name." Lorelai chided. "Why are you dodging this?"

"Because you don't like her." Sousiel admitted sheepishly.

"Triss then, and I don't dislike her, I just think she's dangerously crazy." Lorelai spoke softly, trying to reassure the demon. "Do you have feelings for Triss?"

Sousiel fidgeted for several minutes before Lorelai sighed. "I'll take that as a yes then."

She reached across the small distance between them and grabbed the demon's wrists. Pulling her familiar into her lap she planted a peck on her cheek. "Is this really that important to you? I'll not have you risk your life on a whim."

"Yes mistress, if I don't chase this chance I don't think I'll ever get up the nerve again." Sousiel nuzzled her cheek into Lorelai's shoulder.

"Then you may go, I'll not chain your heart." Lorelai deposited the girl on the ground and stood. Moving around the room she gathered a few books and three cold-iron daggers. Handing them to the demon she smiled. "You'll not be leaving without these though."

"Thank you Lorelai!" Sousiel threw her arms around her mistress' waist. This had been much easier than the demon expected.

"Of course Sousiel, and if she hurts you more than she needs to," Lorelai smiled. "I'll kill her."

"Okay." Sousiel barely heard what her mistress had said. She skipped out of the room for what she expected would be the trip of a lifetime.

Lorelai shook her head as she watched her familiar dance away. "Mental note: Move 'killing Triss' from the 'Probably but won't enjoy' pile to the 'Can't but really should' pile." She sighed and returned to her work.

_{in collaboration with @SunsetRoses and @Fetzen}



It had been the first time for Andri to see Alphonse. There had not been an opportunity to speak to the assassin colleague, but still he was glad to have met him. Sometimes only an utterly destroyed rumor was a good rumor. The remainder of the meeting had not revealed anything new to him, so there were two tasks at hand: Visit Lorelai and collect his new armor, which he had absolutely no idea of, and meet Elizabeth in order to find his role in the upcoming war. The latter one was a thing he would have liked to skip more than anything else, but his involvement was unavoidable. He knew that some kind of contribution to the common effort would be expected from him as well.

Once again the hunter knocked at the door he had become quite familiar with, but this time he already started to open it slowly before he heard anything. It was clear that he was expected.

As the door creaked open and Andri walked inside, Elizabeth met him with a smile. She had been expecting him, and in a neat stack on the table sat his instructions and assignments. ”Sit, and I'll explain to you your new task.” Though her voice was friendly and her posture had eased, she meant business. There would be no bargaining, because it wouldn't be fair for him to stay out of things while others fought with everything they had.

The hunter raised an eyebrow. "Everything's already prepared ?" Andri reached for a chair and put down his massive body on it. "Sorry... Hello Liz." The speed at which the huntress was pushing things forward did surprise him. He took the first item from the stack, his fingers dove into the envelope and he pulled out the first piece of parchment, didn't start actually reading it however. "What do you have in store for me ?" He tried to relax the situation a bit, but it was a very fragile, artificial, false layer on top of what was really going on in his mind.

Elizabeth blushed, she was making him uncomfortable with her no nonsense approach. Liz had to admit, she was falling easily into this position. With young witches she had to be assertive, get them through the tears or anger and push their assignments on them. Maybe she could be a bit softer with her friends...but would it be effective? ”My apologies, hello Andri.”

She cleared her throat, pointing at the parchment he held in his hands. It was full of instructions and rules, and at the top was ESPIONAGE, all written in neat print. ”You, and a special group of witches, have been selected to be a part of our espionage task force. The people you will be answering to are me of course, and Alphonse secondly. I have decided that you will be second in command.” She waited, allowing it to sink in, before she continued. ”The specifics are inside your packet, but you and are going to briefly go over the basics.”

Elizabeth suddenly felt stuffy in her armor, which she had been wearing since the meeting. It was awkward giving commands to Andri. ”Before we begin, do you have any questions? I'll answer all of them.”

"May I delay answering to that question until I've read through this ?" He attempted a smile, but what came out could easily be interpreted as sheepish, a schoolboy thad had dared to object to the speed his teacher wanted him to progress. However, the reason behind his action was a very honest one: Questions required time and a solid knowledge they could condensate on.

Liz could see Andri's eyes quickly scan the document line by line. It took some time, and the assassin was very lowly whispering what he was reading to himself. Then he jumped to first conclusions: "It would be a wise thing to know the terrain in advance. Am I right about guessing that you will send me on an exploration mission right away ?" He wasn`t explicitly referring to the teleportation stuff, but even without it it seemed to be a very reasonable thing to ask.

Elizabeth smiled, trying to put him at ease. She knew smiles wouldn't cut it though, he didn't want to mess with her, and she doubted he would relax during this meeting. ”Of course, I made the assumption that Khan can only take you to places you know...so I've already planned a special outing for you.” She reached down, grasping a smaller map of the castle and the grounds just beyond it. It was marked with the locations of traps and the different things they did, she handed it over to Andri.

”You and I will be given a special pair of glasses, from the forgemaster. He's working on your armor, and I'm sure he's excited to meet you...hasn't had this much work in centuries.” Elizabeth laughed, relaxing in her seats to tell Andri all about the forgemaster. ”I met him myself when I went to Lorelai's citadel, he's a giant, funny too. Very passionate about what he does, you should see the weapons lining his wall.” She tapped on her suit, her eyes sparkling with mirth. ”I need him to forge me a new whip, the last one was incredible.”

"A giant... you mean... a real giant ?" Andri's eyes appeared to partially switch into christmas-mode. That would be the first time in his life he would not have to look at someone else facedown, but upwards, and given his 25-year experience, it would not so unlikely be the last time as well.

"I don't have any idea about the armor yet, but guessing from what yours looks like I should expect it to be awesome, shouldn't I ? The glasses are for preventing me from accidentally trapping into our own traps, right ?"
It will be tight! It will be tight! It will be tight! I tell you! I know Lorelai a bit better than you do... I've already had to do with her! Andri tried to ignore Khan for the moment, despite it being difficult. "So I am to scout this area ?"

Elizabeth laughed, her hand shooting up to point at the ceiling. ”Yes! A real giant! Twenty feet tall and then some. Oh you're going to love meeting him! He's an ancient fellow, you wouldn't believe his name though! Lenny!” Elizabeth was turning pink laughing, the most fun she had had all day. Business was wearing down on her, and she was thankful for Andri.

”Your armor will be great, and I think the glasses will be nice enough to keep up the guise.” Elizabeth paused, wiping a tear of joy from her eyes. ”Yes, the glasses will prevent you from tripping them as easily. I would love to join you on the stroll, but I fear I may be busy. This room gets claustrophobic after a while, I'm glad you stopped by.”

Lenny... that was fun. Andri felt infected by Liz' cheer, but it still wasn't entirely able to blast away that curtain that had been resting on his mood since it had become apparent that war against the hunters he had been with just days ago was near unavoidable.

"Should I leave ?" he asked. He wasn't disgruntled and he tried to make sure that there wasn't even a slim chance of that being a reasonable interpretation of his tone and words. "You seem very busy. I could walk over to Lorelai and see if the stuff's already finished."

Elizabeth felt the sting of rejection, though there wasn't any in Andri's voice. She looked around the room and at the pile of papers that still needed to be handed out, sighing. ”I suppose it would be best. Tell Lorelai I love her, would you? Also, tell her I miss the outside world and I'm going to die from the lack of fresh air.” Elizabeth laughed, lighting another bunch of tobacco and breathing it in, she swore it was the only thing that was keeping her sane. She waved Andri off, telling him to read his packet thoroughly before she got back to work.

Andri kept watching her while he was backing off towards the door. "I'll tell her, promised. Perhaps we can talk later." Smiling he closed it, keeping his eyes locked on the huntress as long as he could in the process. The instruction package felt his firm clutch as he wandered off. Next destination: Lorelai. The hunter was really curious about what would expect him.

---

Several minutes after Andri's departure a knock came at Liz's door. "General? Are ya' in?" a gruff female voice accompanied the knock.

Elizabeth stared at the door, as if her eyes could see through it and at the person in the hall. She didn't recognize the voice, but she assumed it was just another witch that needed guidance. ”Come in, and make yourself comfortable.” She called to the voice outside, tilting her head down at her papers and continuing to scan them.

The door swung open and in marched three witches in plate mail. "Oi General. I'm the Captain o' the guard." in the center stood a witch well into middle age. Her face was littered with scars both old and new, and she bore a vigorous bronze complexion. She extended a hand in greeting. "Name's Jules, and dese bitches are my sub-captains."

Elizabeth stood, nodding respectfully and extending a hand to shake Jule’s. Hers were the calloused hand of an aged warrior, where Elizabeth's had retained their softness. ”Nice to meet you, Jules. It's an honor to have you in my office, I assume you wanted to talk to me?” She smiled slowly, gesturing to the seats before her. ”Please, make yourselves comfortable.”

Jules turned curtly to the youngest of them. The woman in question had sneering at Elizabeth since they'd arrived. "Not you welp, you get to stand. Silently." She smiled at her new boss before flopping into her seat. "You'll 'ave to excuse the young cunt, sorry replacement for Vespa."

"We was thinkin'. There's not really a need to break our chain o' command other than putting you up top of it aye?" Jules grinned. "So I thought I'd save ya some work, and come get my girls's assignments. I'll pass 'em around and make sure they get done."

Elizabeth glanced at the girl who had been sneering at her, giving her a sad smile in response. She didn't want to be anyone's enemy, but some wouldn't be swayed no matter what she did. Her focus returned to Jules, and she found herself agreeing with the Captain. There was no need to take away Jules’ title, Elizabeth would just be the one Jules answered to.

”Of course, Jules. Please, call me Liz.” Elizabeth suggested, pushing a thick stack of papers towards the Captain. ”Feel free to make strategic changes, you know your girls much better than I. If anything major comes up, please feel free to come to me, my door is always open to you.” She felt a weight lift off her shoulders, all the soldier witches would be dealt with by their commander, someone they had already been exposed to, someone they trusted.

"Aye, Liz." Jules offered a small bow. "I'll see 'tall gets done, bellyachin' or no." She cast another withering glance at the younger witch.

"Some o' us remember wot a damned Dragon Knight looks like." She winked as she turned to leave. "When s'all said and done, I'll 'ave ta get enough booze in ya to get the story."

Elizabeth chuckled, Jules was quite pleasant. She was glad some people in the castle agreed to her position, even if she couldn't please them all. ”Thank you so much, you don't realize how big of a help you're being.” She called after them, silently accepting Jules’ offer for a drink. She knew she could use one.

A few minutes after Jules and her two right hands had left, there was another knock on her door. Liz raised an eyebrow, but gave them the okay to come in. In stepped an anthropomorphic cat, in a well fitted overcoat and top hat. He tipped his hat to her, stepping aside so his other companions could come in. Next was a humanoid thing with a hideous face, whose horns caught on the door, forcing him to crouch down to step inside. Elizabeth's next surprise was a strange skeletal creature on all fours, legs as thin as the bow of a violin carried his giant figure, which could've been the explanation for his scarf, covered in beautifully embroidered musical instruments. The last creature to come inside her door resembled a gargoyle, dull moans coming from mouth on his hip as his batty ears twitched and his wings folded behind him.

Elizabeth blinked a few times, recognizing them immediately as demons. They must've been Lorelai's, but she had no idea why they were in her new office. Without another word, the gargoyle pointed towards the papers on her desk, and Liz. The skeleton thing presented itself to Liz, like a steed, and Liz climbed on its back afraid it would crumble under the weight. Surprisingly, it lifted her easily, and trotted out the door.

Soon, the other demons came out behind her, carrying all of her tools and other things she had left on her desk. They took her to the garden, and set her down in the central gazebo. They made quick work, setting things up just as they had been, whenever one made a mistake the cat would point its claw in a new direction and they would go to fix it.

Elizabeth cleared her throat, and their heads snapped up to meet her. ”Thank you...very much. All of you.” She waited for them to introduce themselves, but they simply sat down in front of her, looking at each other as if they could communicate with their eyes. Elizabeth had the sudden realization they had no names to introduce, Lorelai had taken them when she had captured them and made them into servants. Feeling a bit bad, Elizabeth commanded them to go to the gardens and play. They did her bidding instantly, and Elizabeth was alone with her thoughts for the time being.

---

Lorelai leaned back in her chair sighing. Her head swum with figures and calculations. She felt around the pockets of her robe, realizing she'd left her pipe in her office. She stood and opened the window of her room, looking out over the grounds to break the tedium. She was just beginning to wonder how Elizabeth was faring when a knock came at her door.

Finally, something to tear her from the banality of plotting. "Come in."

"Hello Lorelai. Quite an impressive speech you delivered." The giant slowly pushed the door closed with his heel, then leaned onto the backrest's top edge of the next chair with both his hands instead of sitting on it. "Liz wants me to tell you that she loves you." He smirked. "And that she will probably die from the lack of fresh air. Personally, I'd like to add that it would probably alleviate the issue if she stopped burning stuff in her pipe all the time."

"She's sweet, and thank you Andri." Lorelai snapped her fingers, causing several menial labor demons to spring from the walls of her room. "Could you displace my sweetheart to the front gardens? With everything she needs of course. Stick around too, she'll need servants." Reducing Elizabeth's stress was a grave concern for two reasons; Firstly a General performed better when they were clear headed, stress has been the downfall of many a military endeavor. Secondly she loved the woman, and that was self-explanatory.

She resolved to retrieve her pipe later, instead she turned to the task at hand. "I presume you're here for you armor and lens?" She walked past the giant on her way to the castle's basement, gesturing for him to follow.

"That was the second thing on my list, yes. If possible, I'd like to pick it up before attending to my duties. I've been assigned scouting." Andri followed Lorelai into regions of the Castle unbeknown to him. It was rather hilarious to see how many of Lorelai's steps he covered with only a few of his own.

"Seems like a good fit." Scouting would make good use of the giant's paradoxical talent for stealth while not placing him in direct conflict with the hunters that he once called comrades. Yet another impressive foresight on Elizabeth's behalf. Lorelai was becoming more satisfied with her decision by the minute.

She lead the hunter down into the bowels of the castle. The oppulent luxury of the upper halls and terraces gave way to roughly hewn stone and dreary torch-light. The steady rhythm of metal work could be heard echoing off of the stone walls, growing lounder with each passing minute.

By the time they'd arrived at the forgemaster's door the metal clangs had become nearly unbearable, each resounding through the walls and the frames of the two visitors. Lorelai's knock at the door caused the sounds to fall silent. "I don't suppose you've seen an actual giant before have you Andri?"

How deep did this castle go ? The building kept surprising him. Andri had already been thinking about that a sound of metalwork that intense could not be caused by an ordinary blacksmith, but a true giant had not exactly been on the top spot of his list. "Erm... So far people have considered me a giant. So... no."
I know where this is going. Ask him to present you his spear, perhaps even hit you in your face with it. That would be sooooo fun! Khan didn't get a really satisfying response, at least if one considered a mental 'KHAAAAAAN!'-growl that increased in loudness over time not such a thing.

Lorelai smiled and pushed open the small door. Inside was a vast room with a vaulted ceiling. Adorning the walls were racks bearing a multitude of weapons and armors. Each piece was forged with a nearly impossible craftsmanship that far surpassed anything of mortal make. The room was lit by the bright glow of coals from a massive forge built into the wall, sending long shadows across the floor.

The centerpiece of the room, however, was its occupant. Standing nearly twenty feet tall, the forgemaster's skin was a deep burnished bronze cracked by long scars. Grey hair cascaded down his immense shoulders in loose tangles.

The room shook as he greeted his visitors. "Mistress! Is this the Andri you were telling me about?"

"Yes it is." Lorelai grinned up at the giant. "Did you finish the armor I requested?"

"Of course! He chuckled. "I haven't anything better to do after all." He extended a fist nearly the size of Andri's chest towards the hunter.

Laying in its palm when it opened was an exquisite suit of a leather-like material. Stark black, the armor's material seemed much softer than traditional leather. Much to Khan's satisfaction it took only the briefest of glances to realize that fitting this over Andri's frame was going to require... patience.

Khan exploded in laughter. Even if she didn't know it, Lorelai had just managed to regain a lot of his sympathy in an instant. Tell Lorelai I love her! Or I'll poof you out of your clothes again! Andri hesitated, but Khan started to zap his brain, causing a slowly increasing amount of pain. "Khan want's me to tell you that he... loves you. So he says." The hunter spoke this out very fast, wanting to get rid of this sentence as soon as possible. Now grab the thing and find out if it's tensile! If you continue drinking that much like yesterday, your ass will soon cry for more space! Andri touched the material. Not for Khan, but for trying to distract his attention from his chuckle.

In one word: It was amazing. Just by letting it glide through his fingers, the hunter could tell that this would feel better than what he currently had. He smiled towards Lorelai, trying to let a certain topic drop under the table. "May I ask what type of leather this is ?"

"Nightstalker hide. They're abyssal predators known for their invisible hides" Lorelai smirked at Andri's earlier comment, but she refrained from commenting. She stroked a finger over the leather, and it seemed to ripple in its wake. It shimmered for a moment, before becoming completely invisible. Another stroke returned it to norma. "Khan will teach you how to control that."

"It also bears some enchantments that will help it turn a blade much more readily than traditional leather." She patted Andri's arm, considering his shoulder was too much trouble to reach. "It's not quite plate-mail, but I hope it will serve, Andri."

I want you to try it out, now!
I will have Triss hunt you down for this! I won't give up until she has invaded your little realm and completely torn it apart or at least put so many pervy memories in front of your consciousness that you won't be able to bother me for a long period of time!
Blah blah blah! She would have to find a way in there first! And I could ambush her while she tries to do so! I know what your mind looks like, Andri! Now put it on and search for a mirror! A giant one!
One could see that the hunter was battling something inside him. This entire issue had turned out to be a full-scale victory for the demon worm - and he had not only to accept this, but, from a more objective point of view, even grateful for this. And after all, he realized that the armor would make things noticeably easier for him, so it was a damn good thing to have.

"Want me to try it out right now ?" he asked Lorelai.

"Sure, go right ahead." Lorelai gestured to the door behind her. "I'll give you some privacy if you're modest."

Andri lifted the black armor out of Lenny's hand. He would have liked to shake his hand or something instead of just shouting "Thank you!", but given the difference between his giantness and the forgemaster's giantness, attempting this was too likely to be futile.

Behind the door, it took the hunter suspiciously long to get things done. When he came out again, it was obvious why: Andri now looked like a giant, walking, black anomaly inside space that invaded the forge. An anomaly whose every breath was quite visible for everyone as the armor left no doubt about the existence of muscles in Andri's body as well as it left no doubt about the existence of a behind and the area that was on the same height, but on the opposite side. Even most of his face was covered in Nightstalker hide, with the exception of a rather small gap left open around his eyes and his nose. "I assume the glasses you've spoken about fill up the gap ?" He pointed at the area within his face, his voice muffled by the material covering his mouth.

"How dapper!" Lorelai giggled in amusement. As funny as it may have looked she was satisfied that it fit and that the man seemed to be able to move around in it well enough.

She retrieved a pair of goggles with a black strap and crimson lenses fron a nearby rack. Handing them to the hunter she grinned. "They should fade when your armor does. Is everything to your satisfaction?"

Andri played with his fingers, checking if they could move as he was used to as well. "To my satisfaction ?" His tone was like 'Is this a rhethorical question ?'. "It is absolutely fascinating, but... Given the current circumstances, I hope you can understand that I won't say 'I can't wait to try it out.'."
Get to a mirror! I can only tell if it's satisfying when I see the result myself!
"May I ask a question though ? Why is it so skin tight ?"

"One part to ensure it doesn't snag any underbrush or other debris while you're working." Lorelai held a straight face for several moments, before descending into giggles. "And I'm afraid the second is for my amusement. I hope you can forgive an old witch her whimsy, I swear the first reason was practical."

In this instant, the hunter became glad about the fact that the face mask was hiding the color of his skin, too. Why ? Because both embarrassement and momentary anger had the ability to change it to a bright red. He couldn't help but not say a word for some seconds, just looking at Lorelai and how she giggled.

"I can absolutely agree on the first one, but the second one gives Khan a total victory. Is it that that gives you this amusement ? How many of the coven's members will now stare at me when I walk along the hallways ?"

"Somewhat, yes. Mostly because you seem like the type to be embarassed by these types of things." Lorelai stated, smiling. "Also, as tight as it is I figured you could wear clothes over top of it. Yet another practical purpose, also there's no real need to wear your armor around the coven you know." She arched an eyebrow at the man.

"Tell this Khan!" A bit more loudly, he repeated "Tell this Khan!". Andri shook his head, not wanting to believe his own expectations. "He will most likely torture me to wear it inside the coven, for reasons that are obvious. Difficult times awaiting me..." His own eyebrows weren't visible anymore, one could only see movement below the black material.

"Please tell me... What do you know about Khan ? He had seemed to be a bit afraid of you... till now at least."

"It would be wise for him to maintain a healthy fear of me. I still haven't forgiven him for the last time he failed me." Lorelai glared at Andri's head, directly at the spot where the demonic worm was neslted in. "For now though I'll stay his sentence so long as he continues working with you, and lays off of his more onerous demands."

"As for the rest I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific. Are you looking for his history? 'Biology'? Helpful tips on controlling his... urges?" Lorelai began leading him back out of the basement. "There's not a great deal I don't know about him. Somethings are better left forgotten. Others, however, may prove insightfull."

Khan getting blackmailed - that was fantastic! In fact, after rescuing Liz from Seren's Folly with his power is was probably the second thing to go right with him after all. Andri was close to giving Lorelai a hug for her decisive statements directed at the worm and he was cheering up as they were leaving the basement.

"I'll cut this short: Tell me everything... I want to know what he really is. Where he comes from, if he is alone or if there are others of his kind. And... yes... tips about him would be helpful."

"First thing to realize is that he needs you as much as you benefit from him." Lorelai counciled. "You can survive without him, and continue to do your work. He, however, lacks the proper anatomy to persue his interests without help."

"So keep that in mind when he threatens to eat your brain, or whatever he's saying nowadays." She laughed. "He's less eager to do that as you might think. Keep him happy, as any good partner should, but don't put up with too much of his drivel. Lest he learn to walk all over you."

"As for his kind, there are six more." Lorelai paused for a moment. "Khan embodies lust... and trangression as I'm sure you've noticed. Even his teleportation stems from his ultimate disdain for taboo and social norms, as he travels sympathic pathways instead of being constrained by the notion of objective distance."

"There is a similar entity for each of the 'seven deadly sins'." She placed air quotes around the last few words, rolling her eyes. "Although I think you've little to worry about from them. They don't get along with each other all that well."

The more Lorelai told him about Khan, the slower Andri's pace got, until the last thing had caused him to stop completely and lean against a wall. He didn't know what 'sympathic pathways' were, nor was he sure about if he really wanted to know how that worm in his head looked like. The story about the seven sins was a real shocker however. "So you are telling me that out of the zillions of demons and other things that are lurking down there in hell and up here, I've managed to pick out one of just seven especially unique ones ? How likely is that ?"
There! Appreciate me! I'm something very special and you should consider yourself a very special person to have met me!
Andri's mind was hit by another shock. What if... "Is it possible that there's something unknown about me that could attract the other worms as well ?" His voice was affected by quite a noticeable amount of fear. Six other terrible entities were waiting somewhere out there...

"Hmmm... possibly." Lorelai paused a moment while the shock set in, then she smiled. "If that comes to pass though I'll do what I can to ensure you remain whole Andri. You're a member of the coven now, that makes us family."

"Maybe I should've just squashed Khan, oh well." Lorelai motioned for the hunter to pick up the pace.

Khan didn't say anything when Lorelai mentioned squashing him. He was afraid, really afraid, but of course he made a top secret out of it. He couldn't have done any worse to his host's mood anyway though as it was plummeting incredibly faster than the hunter had cheered up before. Andri tried to get away from the topic himself, but even as he spoke he could already feel that his attempt would not be much of a success. His face, as far as it could be seen, had turned pale, and his voice dry. "Perhaps I should just read through my instructions package and get to work before I get crazy..."

"I've always found that to be best." They'd arrived in the castle proper and came to the intersection between her personal tower and the rest of the common area. Lorelai stopped and turned to the hunter. "As I said, you've little to fear. If Khan or any of his 'kin' give you too much trouble come find me and we'll sort it out alright?"

---

Evening came sooner than anyone expected, or wanted. The sun kissed the mountains surrounding the castle, bathing the garden in its orange deaththroes, and signaling the end of the first of many busy days to come. No witches lingered in either the halls or gardens, electing instead for private time with loved ones, or simply extra rest.

"You're going to have to teach me to use one of these someday." Lorelai rounded the last hedge on her way to the central gazebo. She turned Elizabeth's new whip over in her hands, examining its exquisite make.

She laughed and leaned against one of the pillars supporting the roof of Liz's new 'office'. "Then again, I'd probably just end up cutting my arm or leg off."

Throughout the day, Elizabeth had taken it upon herself to ease her new demons into enjoying her company. She had given them new names: the cat was Bo, the humanoid was Beebop, the one in charge was Butch, and the skeletal monster was Bob...because she had ran out of ideas. They had all opened up to her, and were passing around a pebble as they shared stories in their strange voices. Bob was turning out to be her favorite, his tone was that of strained violins, and Bo had to translate for him.

As Lorelai appeared, all of the demons fell silent, it was apparent that they weren't used to speaking unless they were spoken to. Liz told them to go for a walk, and have fun, and they walked off. Only Bob stayed, trotting around and bellowing in a high pitch. Elizabeth laughed, looking at Lorelai with a passion she had kept to herself all day.

”I could always teach you a thing or two, I used to have a little red ribbon on the dart when I was a child. It tells you where the dart is, to avoid accidents.” Liz leapt up from her seat, walking over to Lorelai and giving her lover a hug. ”Anything exciting happen to you today? I for one, received four new friends.” She winked at Lorelai, tilting her head to Bob who screeched a hello. ”Hope you don't mind, I gave them a couple privileges.”

Lorelai's eyes followed the demons with amusement. Elizabeth had a way with people it seemed, and demons were no exception. "Do with them what thou wilt, love. They're yours for so long as they please you." She grinned. "Better you than me, in their esteemed opinion."

She leaned up and left a lingering kiss on the huntress' lips. "The image of a much younger you playing with a ribbon is stuck in my head now, and I must say it seems adorable." She layed her head against her lover's shoulder. "You should teach the girls, I think they'd love it."

"Oh, in some exciting news, Sousiel seems to be enamoured with Miss Felminah. You know her as Triss." She laughed. "I'm not sure who to be worried about."

Elizabeth felt her heart flutter when Lorelai pulled her into a kiss, all the day's stress faded away. She planted a few more kisses along Lorelai's jawline, until her lover brought up training Lotte and Abby with chain whips. She pulled back, smiling at the thought. ”It's best for them to start young, the more they work on it, the better they'll be when the time comes.”

She approved of them learning, she wanted them to be ready for whatever the world threw at them. When Lorelai brought up Sousiel's love life, Liz felt her pale cheeks turn red. ”Oh, she told you? I didn't think she would, but I'm very happy for her.”

'There it is. That amazing moment where her voice and touch make all the pain dissapear, and everything seem worth it' Lorelai thought to herself as the stress of the day, deep as it was, dissolved in a flurry of sweet things. Her jawline ached sweetly, her lips burned, and her heart thudded against her chest in harmony with Liz's.

The only dark cloud that remained was her concern for Sousiel. That and a small twinge of jealousy, Sousiel had been her first love after all, but that was irrational for the most part. "I'm... happy that she's reaching out again." Lorelai sighed into Liz's neck, planting a few light kisses of her own. "I'm just worried that if it doesn't work she'll lose hope for good this time. Sousiel's very dear to me, and I'd go to great lengths to spare her pain. In this though I'm powerless, which is an unwelcome sensation after all these years."

Elizabeth stroked Lorelai's hair, pulling her close as she sighed. The concern for her familiar was evident in Lorelai's tone, but Elizabeth knew very well that somethings weren't meant to be monitored or controlled. ”I can always kill Triss if Sousiel's heart is broken, but for now…I think it's better if we let Sousiel do things on her own. It's a learning process. Is there anything else on your case?”

Elizabeth snapped, and a few moments later Bob moaned out the sound of a violin’s string being plucked. Gathering Lorelai up into her arms, Elizabeth fell back with a gentle plop. She landed on the leathery hide of Bob, who was still about four feet tall when pressed flat on the ground. Bob lifted, taking them into the air and trotting along with a proud flick of his neck. Elizabeth looked down at the beautiful woman wrapped in her arms, and winked. ”Bob makes the perfect accomplice.”

Lorelai'd never admit just how hard her heart flipped everytime Elizabeth lifted her into the air. There was an unexpected sweetness to being cradled, and it was yet another thing she'd never shared with anyone other than her huntress. The waiting steed was an exciting new twist on what was quickly becoming a timeless classic.

"Perfection seems to follow you, love." Lorelai let out a girlish giggle as she rested her head against Elizabeth's shoulder.

"So far I've plotted me and Alphonse's course. Prepared everything we'll need," Lorelai ran through her mental checklist yet again. "I'm just afraid of homesickness now. I... I've never been homesick before." She wasn't sure which was more embarassing; admitting that, or burying her face in the knight's shoulder like a schoolgirl to avoid her blush being seen.

Elizabeth made a quick mental note to take Lorelai on more rides with Bob, it seemed to be amazingly effective. ”You may think I'm perfect, but if you asked my mom, she’d give you a whole list of things I'm terrible at.” Elizabeth laughed, amused at the thought of her mother even writing something for her. That was one of her sacrifices, she would never be able to make amends with her family, and she had no idea if it was worth it yet. Her father probably already knew that she had stormed into Seren's Folly and made an attempt at a fellow hunter’s life, she could never imagine his disappointment, or her mother's fear.

When the tears began to raise up to meet her eyes, she pushed the thoughts away, focusing on her new family. Lotte, Abby, and the wonderful lady burying her face into Liz's shoulder. ”There's no reason to be embarrassed, Lorelai. Everyone gets homesick, whether they want to or not. Sometimes they miss their bed, other times they miss the people, or maybe just the peace and quiet found in the woods of their home. I'll give you a token, so you can hold it when you feel alone.” Her eyes sparkled, as a plan formed in her head. She would have Lotte and Abby write their mother a letter, there was nothing Lorelai loved more than them, and nothing that could make her feel happier than a personal gift from them.

Lorelai's heart trembled at the mention of Elizabeth's family. Oh how she wished she could meet them, and speak to them as their daughter's suitor properly. Perhaps she'd come to like them, she could easily see enjoying her father's company from the way Elizabeth described him. Some things would have to remain wishes though. The worst thing about the entire situation though, was that the woman was giving up her family to preserve her's. Lorelai just hoped that she'd find her new family worth the price, because as things stood that's all she could offer.

Lorelai's heart warmed at the thought of a token. A small representation of Elizabeth's affection, such a simple thing, yet something she'd never have considered on her own. "Like a lock of your hair? Maybe something with your scent on it?" Her face brightened. "I would like that very much."

Lorelai's heart trembled at the mention of Elizabeth's family. Oh how she wished she could meet them, and speak to them as their daughter's suitor properly. Perhaps she'd come to like them, she could easily see enjoying her father's company from the way Elizabeth described him. Some things would have to remain wishes though. The worst thing about the entire situation though, was that the woman was giving up her family to preserve her's. Lorelai just hoped that she'd find her new family worth the price, because as things stood that's all she could offer.

She looked up at the wonderful woman that had so deftly conquered her heart. Her hand came up to stroke her cheek. "I'm sorry Elizabeth. All I have to offer is my love, and the promise of a new family. I hope you don't come to regret it sweetheart."

Elizabeth's eyes widened immensely at the thought of cutting off her hair, she hadn't done that in years. Instinctively, she reached for the tight braid swinging across her back. A couple of inches wouldn't hurt, right? She looked back down at Lorelai, who was so very vibrant, and she knew that her hair was a worthy sacrifice. ”Of course, love, if it keeps you sane in the abyss I'll do anything.” A very large part of her hoped the hair wouldn't be used in any rituals, but she wouldn't tell Lorelai not to.

Lorelai challenged her with the talk about family. Of course, she didn't regret her decision yet, but she had no clue how things would turn out in the future. She leaned into Lorelai's small hand, appreciating the warmth. ”Your love is all I need, Lorelai. Our family is the most beautiful thing I could ask for, Lotte and Abby are endearing.”

"You're sweet, and everything I could ask for." Time would tell how things turned out. For now Lorelai would simply have to hope. She finally tore her eyes away for Elizabeth's divine visage long enough to note her surroundings. "Elizabeth? Where are we going?"

”You're more than I could ask for.” After planting a kiss on Lorelai's cheek, Elizabeth looked around, they definitely weren't in the gardens anymore. ”I...don't know actually. I thought Bob would just prance through the gardens for a bit.” She glanced at Bob, who was humming a rather pleasant tune. The demon's head snapped back as he felt her eyes on him, and with a sickening crack his jaw stretched into something close to a smile, but not quite there.

”Where are we going, Bob?” She asked him, straining to look through the thick wall of trees. The creature screeched, something that could have been an ‘I don't know’ or ‘It's a surprise’. Elizabeth shrugged, letting him guide them. Soon, the trees gave way to a small clearing, full of wildflowers. A lazy river ran through the center, and Bob's voice rang out when he looked at it.

Taking the hint, Elizabeth made him crouch so they could safely jump off of his back. The moment they had left, he charged towards the river, his scarf flowing behind him. Elizabeth laughed when he jumped in, sitting down in a patch of blue wildflowers. ”Why are demons so cute? First Sousiel, then Bo, and now Bob.” She glanced at Lorelai, smirking. ”Oh, and Lady Nocticula, she was one beautiful lady.”

"I think that's just you, darling." Lorelai's eyes followed the demonic steed as it... frolicked in the... "Okay, I see it now. Although to be fair it took Sousiel nearly twenty years to get cuteness down, she gave me nightmares when I was little."

She layed her head in Elizabeth's lap. "Bob's found us quite the spot hasn't he? It's beautiful." Their small clearing was bathed orange in the sunset's glow, the orange sun setting just over the treeline. The air was filled with cricket's songs, and the babble of the small sapphire stream running through its center. Even the wildflowers against her back were soft and inviting.

Her eyes closed slowly, a smile of contentment curving her lips. "Not much light left, love. What shall we do with it?"

Elizabeth ran her hands through Lorelai's soft hair, taking in the refreshing smells of the forest. The day's activities began to wear down on her, and as night closed in, she knew she just wanted to relax for the remainder of their time. ”Not to disappoint, Lorelai, but I say we enjoy the sunset together and be lazy. Then, before we leave, we can partake in some strenuous activities.” Elizabeth cooed, closing her eyes and laying back in the grass. It swallowed her up, a perfectly soft bed. The wildflowers filled her nose with their wondrous scents, and the crickets lulled her.

"Napping amidst wildflowers is a time honored lover's tradition." Lorelai agreed entirely. The day hadn't be easy on her either, between witches protesting her decision and preparations for her expedition fatigue had settled into the woman's limbs.

She shifted her head to rest on Elizabeth's stomach, her hand finding her lover's and lacing their fingers happily. "A lovely plan dear."

_{in collaboration with @shagranoz}



Phagora was in a foul mood. The excoriating lashing she'd received from Lorelai still stung, and she hadn't gotten over it. To be threatened with death for showing humanity to a prisoner? Yes, she knew her actions could cost the coven badly, but it still rankled.

She found herself at Elizabeth's office in the tower. Perhaps the best way for her to deal with her issues was to lose herself in work. "General, do you have any assignments for me?"

Elizabeth stared up at Phagora, eyeing her with the least subtle curiosity she could muster. ”Please take a seat, Phagora. I’d like to talk to you.” She gestured towards the seat in front of her, waiting patiently for Phagora to make her decision.

”I want to know why you're actually working for me, or at least...under what circumstances? Do you not need to prepare?” She asked softly, the question that had been bugging her for a while now. Liz knew Lorelai had put Phagora to work for her, but she hadn't a clue as to why. If anything, Phagora should have been getting prep work done for the war, not serving her.

Phagora sighed, but if this knowledge hadn't reached Elizabeth... well, it was only a matter of time. "I was the one who let Mat out of his cell. Trusted him not to escape, and he abused that trust, to say the least. Now, Lorelai has added you to my contract to serve her. If you're satisfied with my work, I may be able to keep my head attached to my shoulders. The operative word here being 'may'."

She glanced at Elizabeth. "No, I don't need anything special in the way of ritual sacrifices or anything like that. We've got a good supply of livestock here, at least. Have you decided where we are going to put the lines?"

Elizabeth looked Phagora straight in the eyes, unnerving until the explanation was over. The girl's life hung in her hands, all she had to do was give her a bad review and her death was certain. Then, Phagora moved past it as though it wasn't a big deal. Did Lorelai do that a lot? Elizabeth nodded, still working up a reply as she dug through her maps for battle placements.

”Of course, everything has been worked out. However, I would love your input.” She managed, spreading the map out along the desk. She pointed towards the first supply line, stacked between the summoners and the soldiers. There was also a secondary supply line, stacked towards the back near the healers. She wetted her lips, and looked up at Phagora again. ”I don't believe you should die, for your actions.”

"I don't either, but then again, I'm rather biased in the regard." Phagora looked over the map with a sense of approval. "Not bad, but I can't help wondering if we have anyone who can carve stone on hand. Stone rune traps buried in the ground would be virtually undetectable. and unlike dirt sigils, they can't be smudged into uselessness. We could shred the hunters before they get near us."

Elizabeth made a steady decision to ignore the topic of Phagora’s death, at least until she had a proper answer for it. She smiled when Phagora complimented her planning, relaxing a bit in her chair. ”We do have Lenny, I'm sure he could carve the runes, and a few witches could enchant them.” She wasn't sure if Phagora knew about the giant in their basement, but he was one plausible option to make such runes.

"Lenny? I know of nobody named Lenny around here. One of the servants Lorelai left you?" Despite her heritage, Phagora knew little, if anything about the denizens of Hell. It was an annoying blind spot in her mystical knowledge. After the situation with the hunters was resolved, she'd have to spend some time reading manuscripts on the subject.

Elizabeth chuckled, she saw Lenny as more of a friend than a servant, but she supposed he was under her rule for the time being. ”Lenny is the giant living in the basement. He used to reside in Lorelai's citadel, now he works in the castle. If we need carved runes, he would be the one to ask.” She smiled, excited to go on a trip to see Lenny. ”I do, however, have four other ‘servants'. Though, I use that term lightly.”

"A giant?" Phagora leaned forward, interested. "How is it that I never knew of someone like that living here? Must be awful quiet for such a big gentleman." She got up from her chair, getting the door for Elizabeth. "Let's go see him, and after that, I'd like do some sparring with you. I could never hold my own against a Dragon Knight, but maybe I could learn something useful from you."

”I wouldn't say quiet, but he doesn't attract much attention down in the basement.” Elizabeth said, picking herself up from her seat and exiting the room with Phagora. Elizabeth was excited to get her new spectacles. She also wanted to check on the Giant, and make sure he was okay in his new arrangements. Of course, he would probably say yes, since he didn't do much other than forge, but it was polite to ask either way. ”You know, I had a friend who's family was in the smithing business. If I ever manage to talk to her again, I'm sure she would be impressed to find out we had a giant blacksmith.” She mused, as they stood outside the door to the basement.

---

After their meeting with Lenny, the pair made their way out to the training grounds. Elizabeth stripped out of her armor in the center of the field, letting the slight breeze carry through the thin fabric of her tunic. She had Beebop run and get her whip from Lorelai's private rooms, and he returned in record time, striding over with the whip tucked beneath his arm.

Elizabeth ran her hands over the weapon, which could be used for the first time today. She turned to Phagora, a lopsided grin on her face. ”How would you like to practice? Dart, whip, or fisticuffs?” She asked with a wink, attaching her whip to her waist.

"A whip? Are you coming on to me, Liz?" Phagora couldn't help joking with her. It relieved the tension quite nicely. She took up a longsword. It was a tournament blade, so it was dulled to the point of nonlethality, but it would still hurt quite a bit if she caught Liz with it.

"I've never fought someone with a whip before. Should be interesting." Phagora took up a defensive stance, waiting for Liz to make the first move.

Elizabeth giggled, at least Phagora could make a good joke. ”If I were, I wouldn't have bothered leaving on my tunic.” She suggested, watching as Phagora chose a longsword from the large collection. ”And I have never fought a witch with a longsword.” She added, taking up the offensive.

She began swinging her whip, picking up good momentum for a strike. It whizzed through the air, a blur. She took a step forwards, swinging it at midlength, in an attempt to disarm her foe before the battle had begun. She made sure not to go at full strength, for the blade at the end of her was adamantine, and it could easily cut into Phagora if she wasn't careful.

The good news for Phagora was that she managed to hold on to her blade. The bad news was that she had her sword knocked out of position. She recovered quickly, though, and made a thrust at Elizabeth's midsection, taking enough off of it that Liz would get nothing more than a bad bruise, even if she failed to block.

During the time Phagora was recollecting her balance, Elizabeth had folded her whip, handling the dart as a dagger. She had expected Phagora to take a jab at her, and when the thrust came she skirted to the side, causing the blow to land closer to her ribs. It wasn't enough to knock the air out of her, but it stung, causing her to falter just slightly. Elizabeth propelled herself at Phagora, taking the flat of her dart and attempting a solid whack at her opponent's waist.

Phagora honestly hadn't expected Elizabeth to dodge. Rather, she thought her opponent would try to intercept the blow. When the counterattack came, Phagora simply wasn't ready, and took the blow straight in the hip. She was in a bad way. A longsword was a great weapon, but the problem in this situation was that it was, well... long. In such close quarters, Phagora didn't have the room to build up to a good strike. She backpedaled quickly, trying to get her distance back.

Elizabeth knew she had the upper ground in close quarters, and she went after Phagora. Her enhanced speed only gave her a meager advantage, so her next attack was strained. She knew that once propelled, she would have a very little chance of deflecting the next blow, so this would have to be a disabling attack. She lunged forwards with a grunt, once again using the flat of her blade. She angled it towards Phagora's hands in an attempt to disarm her. She tried to keep her blow soft, as to not damage Phagora's hands too badly.

Elizabeth's strike found home, landing right on the tips of Phagora's fingers. The tiefling dropped her blade, and didn't bother trying to pick it up. The game was up, and she knew it. "Well done, Elizabeth. I knew you were going to be too fast for me, but your strength was a surprise. Something Lorelai did to you, or something you worked on yourself?"

Elizabeth picked up Phagora's blade, presenting it to her. She attached her whip to her hip, satisfied with her overall performance. ”I learned most of my techniques on my own, but yes, becoming a Dragon Knight has given me a slight advantage in the field. It's more effective when I carry a demon, like Sousiel.” She figured she deserved the enhancements, so she wasn't afraid to talk about them. She held out a hand for Phagora, giving her a steady smile. ”You have great skills, Phagora.”

"Thank you, Elizabeth." A thought came to Phagora, unbidden. "So, from what I understand, you can allow demons to posess you, correct? I wonder..."

Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow, nodding briefly. ”Yes, I can accept most minor demons into my body.” She acknowledged, wondering where this would be heading. It also brought up a few other questions: could she bring Bob, Beebop, Butch, and Bo into her body? ”What were you wondering?”

"You do know who I am? Who my father is?" Phagora's eyes lit up. "I've never been able to possess someone. That magic has always been a little bit beyond me. But if I can tap into the infernal energies running through your blood... Meet me in the ritual chamber, and bring a belonging of yours. Something you don't mind losing."

Elizabeth was apprehensive to say the least, she knew very well what a tiefling was, but she did not know Phagora’s personal family line. She also wasn't prepared to accept another demon into her body, but Phagora looked very excited by the prospect. ”I'll meet you there, Phagora.” She said softly, striding out of the courtyard to go find a personal belonging.

The ritual chamber been prepped, at least as far as such things go. Surprisingly, it didn't require much in the way of setup. Just a single pentagram, large enough for both Phagora and Elizabeth to stand in comfortably. A brazier lit with black fire hovered in between them.

Phagora couldn't help smiling at how odd this was. Usually, the target would have been stripped naked and chained to the point of utter immobility, lest their struggling disrupt the ritual. Now, she actually had a willing participant. If her father could see her now...

Elizabeth walked into the ritual room wearing a fresh pair of clothes, and carrying the dart to her very first whip. It was the only memento she could scrounge up, because everything else was left in her room at Seren’s Folly. Her eyes traversed the room, before falling on Phagora. It was definitely more...specific than her last binding. ”Phagora, are you ready to perform the ritual?” She asked, handing her the dart.

"Yes." Phagora took the dart and gently placed it into the fire. She then took out her ritual knife, and took blood offerings from both herself and Elizabeth, which were then burned. "Keep your mouth open a little. I need an entry point."

"Blood calls to blood," Phagora intoned, "across the leagues and across the aeons, for I art me, and I art thou, and thou art mine!"

With that, Phagora's form dissolved into a noxious black sludge, which flowed upwards and into Liz's mouth. Eventually, the whole mess had been taken in. Phagora didn't have a physical form anymore, per se, but if she did, it would be grinning from ear to ear. She had done it. She had accessed her true demonic form. But something was wrong...

Elizabeth accepted the ritual, offering up her blood with ease. When Phagora’s form became nothing more than black sludge, Elizabeth willingly accepted it into her mouth. Once the ritual was completed, Elizabeth went into a short coughing fit. It ended with her bouncing on her revitalized limbs. ”Everything okay up there, Phagora?” She asked, addressing the tiefling in her head, who was surprisingly quiet.

"No, everything is not bloody well okay!" Phagora's voice was tinged with indignation. "You still have some control. More than me, in fact. This isn't a possession, it's more like... I'm renting your body, and you can evict me any time you wish, if that makes any sense."

"I can't figure out what went wrong, but as long as I'm here, I might as well make some use of this situation. Do me a favor and don't resist me. I swear by the pit, I will do nothing to harm you."

Elizabeth chuckled at the tone of Phagora's voice. Personally, she found nothing wrong with Phagora not being in total control of her body. It was the same thing that had happened when Sousiel had taken over, so she was pleased. When Phagora asked for control, Elizabeth accepted the offer. ”I trust you.” She said simply, relaxing her body and becoming a viewer. The main reason for that trust was if Phagora harmed her, she would be killed by Lorelai almost immediately.

Phagora extended her consciousness into Liz's arms and legs, moving each one independently. It was such a strange feeling, moving a body that was not your own. Eventually, Phagora reached the point where she could take several steps without needing to balance herself, and she was rather satisfied.

She opened Elizabeth's mouth and let herself out, first as the sludge, which reformed into Phagora's familiar shape. "I'm still baffled as to what exactly happened, but I know I can do it, under certain conditions. Good enough for me."

Elizabeth watched her body wobble around like a newborn, growing more and more confident with each step. When Phagora was satisfied, she fled through Elizabeth's mouth. This sent Liz into another strange coughing fit, ending with her recovering and looking better than ever. She smiled up at Phagora, clapping. ”I'm glad I could be a good subject. I'll have to test that with friends, see if they can manage it.”

"Wouldn't reccommend it myself, unless you really trust them. Power corrupts, and absolute power means you have no way of defending yourself, should their intentions turn. Wouldn't let a succubus in, either. Let's just say they use a different door and leave it go there." Phagora shuddered.

"In any case, I thank you. It takes true courage to let someone take you over like that willingly. That, and true trust. I think this bodes well for our relationship."

Did Elizabeth trust her squadron of demons? Of course she did, more than she trusted a few of the witches in the castle. They were still demons though, and she couldn't glamorize that. Maybe during the battle, if Sousiel was busy, she could let one of them in. ”Don't worry about them, I have faith in them.”

She smiled warmly when Phagora thanked her, something she hadn't thought of. ”Of course, if you need to run anymore experiments, I'll be willing.” She paused, tilting her head in consideration. ”Speaking of our relationship...from this point on, you are free. I'll make sure Lorelai doesn't threaten you with violence, or go through with any of her plans. Truly, she's just worried about losing the family she has built, and she has turned that worry into anger.” Elizabeth held out a hand, giving Phagora’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. ”Enjoy yourself before things get too messy, you won't have to report to me unless I specifically call for you. Which may happen...you have a keen eye.”

Phagora let out the deepest sigh of relief in her life. No more was the doom of Damocles hanging over her head. She didn't need to fear Lorelai's return any longer. "Elizabeth, that is the greatest news I have ever heard. Once again, I thank you."

_{in collaboration with @SunsetRoses}



Triss escaped Alphonse's room soon after they were done, her unused book in hand. Her hair was disheveled and the the sleeves of her dress were falling off of her shoulders, though she didn't bother to adjust them. She tottered through the halls for a moment, before regaining her usual stride and entering her room.

She set her book on the bed, picking up the leather bag she had filled with other books from the library. She had no idea if there would be food in the Tellurian, but if there wasn't...she supposed they could leave before they starved. She laid down on her bed, scanning the texts in front of her and waiting patiently for Sousiel to arrive.

Soon, hours had passed. The sun no longer shone in the window, instead, the moonlight highlighted the roses there. She smiled at the delicate petals, she would have to threaten a green witch to keep it healthy. Her eyes were strained, having read through the daylight hours. Still though, she hadn't found a connection to her family in the texts. Fearing Sousiel wouldn't show, she stood, ready to go search for Medusa.

It took Sousiel most of the day to ensure she knew all the basics for surviving in the Tellurian. Her eyes were reddened from pouring over dusty tomes for the few hours she managed to find to herself. She carried a few under her arm as she made her way towards Triss' room, along with the cold-iron daggers her mistress had given her. A small bag held the rest; A change of clothes, some rare salts Triss might find useful, and some salted meats to hold them over until they found a city or something similar.

Her hand gripped the knob on her date's door for a moment. Chiding herself she removed it to knock, like a normal person. "Triss? Are you ready?"

Triss’ hand hovered over the door, when she heard Sousiel call from the outside. After smoothing out her dress, she opened the door. There stood Sousiel, with books and daggers under her arm, alongside a small bag that resembled her own. Triss reached out, grabbing everything she held. Obviously, Sousiel was more prepared than she was. ”Well, I thought I was. I'm glad you've brought so much...I was just going to take some books.”

She laughed, standing awkwardly in the doorway. ”Should we be off then?” She asked, shifting weight between her foot to suppress her excitement.

"So long as you're ready." Sousiel beamed at Triss briefly before scanning the room for an empty wall. "One of those daggers is for you, the Tellurian's denizens fear cold-iron."

She retrieved an unopened inkwell from the witch's desk. "Books are a good idea. You may want to bring an empty notebook and some writing materials too. Oh, and armor if you have any, weapons too." She twisted the top off of the inkwell and set it on the desk. A claw opened her palm deftly, and she began to mix some of the ink into the blood welling into her hand.

"I hope you don't mind if I make a bit of a mess." Sousiel grinned as she approached a bare wall.

”Of course, I'll get some writing supplies.” Triss took the dagger, sheathing it in the pocket of her dress. She didn't have any armor, but she had plenty of writing materials. She deposited a few unused inkwells into her bag, alongside a quill and some parchment. If Sousiel wasn't there, she was sure she would have died in the Tellurian, without any knowledge of the realm she was about to enter.

When Sousiel asked about the wall, she shrugged. A bit of bloody ink wouldn't hurt anything. ”Do what you must, Sousiel.” She sat at the chair of her desk, her chin in her hand. She wondered what the ritual would be like, or if she could ever complete it on her own.

Sousiel stooped at the base of the wall and began to inscribe the sigils she'd found in one of the tomes she'd perused. "Just think, soon enough you won't need silly little mudras like this one." She said, excitement in her voice. "You'll sail the Tellurian's waves whenever you like, lucky."

"What did you do with the rest of your day?" Sousiel asked awkwardly. She wasn't accustomed to small talk, or many of the more nuanced points of human interaction. Inscribing sigils into walls in her own blood? That was more her speed, and her hands moved over her work quickly and confidently. In stark contrast with her voice.

”Maybe I will someday, but you'll always be my partner. It wouldn't be fun otherwise.” Triss wondered what it would be like to master her craft, and sail the Tellurian like a ruler. She didn't think it fit her though, she had always been a peasant as long as she had lived. Even here, the only respect she got was from those who feared her. She didn't dwell on those silly things, instead watching Sousiel while her heart did flips. The confidence in her work, but the frailty of her voice, two very endearing things.

Sousiel's next question took some time to process, not because she didn't know the answer, but because she didn't know how to phrase it. ”I was out with Alphonse for most of the day.” She paused momentarily, wondering how she could ease Sousiel into the idea of her already being with Alphonse. ”I asked him what he thought of our relationship, he said it was fine.”

Ah, so Alphonse had been lying when he said he didn't have feelings for Triss. Sousiel really needed to follow up with him more often. Who to kill? She couldn't kill Triss, as that would defeat the point. Alphonse she might be able to get away with, but she was fond of him, and her mistress more so. She sighed and set aside her murderous impulses in favor of the raw pain pulsing through her heart.

"You and Alphonse huh?" Triss had never actually declared any intentions towards her other than 'turning her into a lover', whatever that meant. She'd heard some whispered promises, and had taken them to heart before realizing that the witch had never truly spoken them.

Her hands continued their task, finding solace in the simplicity of their movements. Better that than turning them to more desperate things in Sousiel's opinion. "I'm... sorry for intruding. I'm afraid I'll have to decline being a plaything. I'll end me and Alphonse's extra curriculars as well, of course." Her voice was eerily devoid of emotion as she spoke. She'd cry later, maybe scream a little, certainly kill someone. For now she had work to do.

Triss bit her lip, hard enough to draw blood. Of course Sousiel would be upset, and Triss hadn't even tried to be considerate. She should have told the demon about her and Alphonse, before making any promises. Before Sousiel could finish the portal and flee, Triss stood, moving across the room as fast as she could. She wrapped her arms around her female lover, grasping her arms to prevent her from finishing her work.

”Yes, Alphonse and I are a couple, but if I didn't care about you do you think I would have told him about us?” Triss knew it wasn't enough, and she scrambled for more words. ”Please don't shut down your heart, everything you've done for me...you're no toy.”

She turned Sousiel, her own panicked eyes finding the demon's. ”You aren't an intruder, you've earned your own place in my heart.” Her voice was strained, desperate. Triss didn't know the last time she had felt so weak, or the last time she had pleaded so much. ”Don't shut me out, Sousiel. I want to be yours, I want you to be mine.” She fell to her knees, clenching Sousiel's bloody hands and kissing them.

Sousiel's eyes widened at Triss' display. "Shut you out? Me? Uh..." Triss' affection for her was plain as day, leaving the demon elated but confused. Her heart performed acrobatics while it bled freely, seemingly unsure about just about everything. She pulled her hands back just long enough to wipe them on the back of her shirt before pulling the witch into an embrace. "I love you, I don't want to shut you out."

"I just thought that... since you and Alphonse were..." She kissed the top of Triss' fiery head as she struggled for the proper words. "Can you really love more than one person? Is that actually possible? I want to be yours too, and to call you mine, but I'm confused." Her mind was in total disarray. Loving one person was mind boggling enough, but two? She couldn't begin to imagine something like that.

Triss wrapped her arms around Sousiel's waist, pressing her face against her chest. ”Of course Sousiel, I can love you both. I do love you both. You're so special to me.” Her heart pounded fast, trying to hold onto Sousiel. ”I love you too, Sousiel.” She breathed a slow sigh of relief, before picking herself up off the ground. The realization of what she had just done hit her, and her face turned a deep shade of red.

She scratched her arm, licking her lips where blood and ink had began drying. ”Now, about our date.” She said sheepishly, pointing at the wall where the sigils remained undone. ”I can't wait, by the way.”

Sousiel's face slowly bloomed into a bright smile. She was loved, Triss had even said so. Those simple words sank into her heart. She was still confused, but she was finding it difficult to care about the intricacies of loving more than one person. She'd figure out the rest later.

Triss' gesture to the unfinished portal brought Sousiel back to reality. She grinned and opened a fresh wound on her hand to continue. "It's going to be so much fun!" She giggled. "Maybe we'll see a dreameater, I've always wanted to."

She approached her task with renewed vigor, her hands flying over the wall as she finished the last of the sigils. She turned to Triss for a moment, examining her face. The last thing she added were eyes, painstakingly rendered at face height in the center of the door length design.

"Press your power into those eyes like you would anyone else." Sousiel stepped to the side of the portal. "You'll feel resistance, but it should open the way."

Triss eyed the sigils, this was her first true ritual, and she was glad she had someone as experienced as Sousiel to guide her. After giving the drawings a good stare, her eyes found the crude pair drawn on the wall. It was strange, looking at inorganic eyes, and being expected to use her powers on them. She felt a familiar itch, and her powers surged.

Just as Sousiel said she would, she found resistance behind the plain eyes, as if it were an actual human trying to push her out. She didn't give up though, she never had before. Her eyes glowed even brighter, and she pressed against the wall she was met with. It was as if the eyes were testing her worth, weakening just to bite back stronger. When it was satisfied with Triss’ resilience, she felt the walls give way altogether. Triss was in.

In the outside world, the runes glowed a pale green, shifting and distorting themselves. With a final bright glow, the runes and the wall were swallowed up by a black void. The void swirled, going at a dizzying rate before settling altogether. Stars, brighter than any seen in the night sky, formed before their eyes. They made clusters, shifting into shapes just to disperse and start anew. They illuminated the void, revealing inky purples and sharp blues. Triss’ powers shut off like a switch had been flipped, and soon she was staring at the same sight as Sousiel.

Her hand stretched out towards the void, it looked so familiar. Before her hand could touch the swirling surface, she retracted it and smiled back at Sousiel. ”You did a great job, Sousiel.” Triss’ arm snaked across Sousiel's shoulders, and she gestured towards the portal. ”Would you like to do the honors, my dear?” She asked, knowing how much Sousiel had wanted to visit the Tellurian.

Sousiel watched the portal open with barely concealed excitement, bouncing on her heels as the runes finally gave way, revealing the Tellurian at last. She breamed in pride at Triss. "You did the hard part."

She shrugged out from under Triss arm, and snatched her hand. "In we go!" She giggled and ran through the portal, dragging the red-headed witch through behind her.

Their forms were highlighted against the starry portal momentarily, before fading into the Tellurion entirely. The vortex collapsed behind them. Its insane colors sputtered intensely as the wall was vomited back into reality, leaving behind no trace of their passing.

---

Crossing into the dreamscape was, ironically, like waking up. Their eyes shot open with a small start as they transcended the concrete dream of the physical plane. The first thing they felt was surf on their faces as their eyes adjusted to the chaotic realm.

The swirling lights slowly took on shape as their minds forced a measure of logic on their surroundings. The sound of the ocean reached their ears, they felt warm sand under their sitting forms, and finally they saw. They gazed out into an ocean of glittering stars underneath a vast orange sky locked in the twilight of sunset. The clouds overhead danced with a sentient grace, and even the sand beneath them seemed openly welcoming.

Sousiel's face held open awe as she took in each wonder. "Not the maelstrom, good." She giggled. "What do you think?"

The moment Triss stepped into the Tellurian, she felt...different. On the way over, she had been clutching her cold iron blade like it was the source of her life, but as she stepped onto the sand of Tellurian’s beach, she let it fall to the floor. Her mouth gaped, it was beautiful there: The sunset, locked momentarily in its beautiful golden state, the waves, crashing into the beautiful waters and hitting them with a refreshing spray, the sand, warm beneath her feet.

It was all amazing, but what she saw beneath the initial glory, was even better. Everything was tied together, like a mind that had swelled into it's own ethereal plane. Underneath the picturesque images of Tellurian, she saw the emotions raging there. Behind her own eyes glowed a familiar green light, the key to seeing this beauty. The sun, gave off rays of hope and ecstasy, alongside its usual warmth. She had a distinct feeling that the moonlight would show her desire, and mystery. The ocean itself was a blanket of calm, but each white capped wave rose with anger before sinking. The sand in itself was a sight to behold, each small mineral was its own tiny emotion, a vast expanse of things she had never felt before, things she couldn't even name.

Her breath caught, and she fell, sinking into the warm sand and running her fingers through it. She must have looked crazy, picking particles up off the ground and scanning them in wonder. She turned to Sousiel -who was a mixture of emotions in her double vision- her heart pounding faster than it ever had before. ”Sousiel, it's beautiful! Do you see it? Do you see it all?” She ran towards the water, a madman on a mission. When she touched the surface, she called for the calm, it flooded her fingertips and she held it. The part of the water that had been pulled from washed back into the ocean, where it was revitalized.

All around her, Triss could sense everything. Suddenly, something caught in the corner of her eye. She turned, it was a small wisp. It circled around for a few moments, and when it realised it had Triss’ attention, it zipped off. ”Look! Look Sousiel! It wants us to follow!” She cried, scrambling after it.

Sousiel's eyes followed Triss with a mixture of wonder and worry. As wondrous as the realm was it was still dangerous. "I doubt I see it like you do, but it's beautiful enough anyway." She drew to her feet and scanned their surroundings for movement.

When Triss began chasing something Sousiel couldn't see she called out. "Wait, we need to be cautious!" Yet the girl ran off heedless.

With a sigh Sousiel set off to chase the witch with a small smile. Her hands found her daggers. Triss would play, and Sousiel would be watchful, it was a comfortable and familiar task.

Triss lead them deep into the sparse forest behind the beach they'd first beheld upon arrival. It was strikingly similar to the Glow Wood; the leaves of the trees gave off an emerald radiance, the small insects glittered about them in hues of red, orange, and purple. Sousiel glanced about suspiciously, she'd felt eyes on them when they'd crested the treeline. Yet no sign of an ambush revealed itself, and she wasn't about to ruin Triss' excitement over a hunch.

Just as she'd decided she was being paranoid the brush ahead of them rustled as someone stepped into their path. Thin and waifish, the fae man had almond shaped eyes and ears that ended in a fine point. He wore armor that seemed to be made of large leaves, and a thin rapier gleamed in his hand.

"Triss Felminah. We hadn't been expecting you so soon, but yet here you are." His eyes and words were warm and welcoming as he smiled at the witch. "No matter. We haven't had a scion visit us in ages, we must celebrate."

Triss’ little wisp friend had led them into a forest, she assumed it was like the Glow Woods, but she had never been. Still, though, she felt at home there. The wisp soon disappeared into the trees, and when Triss was about to follow it, a fae appeared in its place. His features weren't horribly handsome, but they were striking and caught Triss’ eyes immediately. She should have tensed, or reached for the dagger she had left at the beach, but she found herself relaxing.

The way he spoke to her, was familiar, and she fell into his lulling words. Even his emotional layer was calm, he displayed no ill will. With that in mind, she curtsied in his presence. She had no questions for him, not yet, for he was far too much like home wrapped into one creature to be questionable. ”I'd love to celebrate. On the way you can explain some things to me.” She said casually, holding out a hand he could take. ”This is Sousiel, she can come too, right?” She asked, glancing at her demonic lover.

"I'm afraid not, well not yet anyway." Her bowed over Triss out stretched hand, kissing the knuckles lightly as he took it. "I haven't the faintest idea why you'd travel with a demon, but we'll have to ensure she's no danger to us before we invite her inside."

'He means kill me and hide the body, cool.' Sousiel flashed the faery her best grin. "I'm just a harmless little familiar, what could I do?" She batted her eyelashes.

"You'll understand if we're cautious." He replied with a cool smile. His features had warmed by the time he returned his attention to Triss. "Come, you can ask your questions while we prepare. Your companion will be back by the time the feast is served, not to worry."

Triss paused, retracting her hand and shaking her head. Things shifted in the fae, and though he hid it well, she could sense malicious intent behind his calm. ”I'm afraid not, she's coming with me or we're not coming at all. I don't go anywhere without my familiar, this is no exception.” Her words were infused with a queenly power, and she raised herself to her fullest height. She knew she had power over the fae, all of his emotions were at her whim. If she wanted to suppress him, until he was little more than a bug she could squash under her shoe, she was certain she could.

His eyes hardened as he bowed. "As you wish Ma'am." He turned and gestured for them to follow him further down the path.

"Well well!" The sight of the deflated fae was sweetly satisfying. Sousiel slipped a hand into Triss' giggling. "That was fun to watch, thanks." Triss' protectiveness warmed her heart, and she could always kill the little twat later.

Triss squeezed Sousiel's hand, planting a kiss on her ‘familiar's' cheek. ”Of course, Sousiel.” She answered merrily, then she leaned down to whisper under her breath. ”At least he understood who he was messing with, I'm starting to like the power I hold here. Whatever power that may be.” She shrugged, and they continued down the path. Each leaf gave off an emotion, just like the sand at the beach. Through the trees she caught sight of little wisps, and they all stopped what they were doing to start a parade, leading them along in the same path as the Fae.

”I wish you could see it, Sousiel. I really do.” She murmured, awestruck by the amazing sights. Soon the glow woods broke, and they were met with a village. Huts made of intricately carved oak trees filled the large space, decorated with leaves and vines, moss beds making up the roof. Small strings of shimmering lights illuminated the buildings, moving around as if they were sentient. In the glow of the setting sun, everything looked as if it were lit by fire, even the waterfall in the distance had a distinctly orange glow. The architecture of the town was amazing, each stone carved with a rune, the arching bridges having been whittled away until they were everyday works of art. Of course, under everything, Triss could see the pulsing emotions. It added another layer of beauty to the realm, one that she couldn't share.

Other fae watched them with wide almond eyes as they walked, some speaking in hushed whispers, some not saying anything at all. Triss’ fiery head bobbed as she walked through the crowd, still at home in this foreign place. ”Sousiel, how do you like it?” She asked, as if she were the one giving a tour.

"It's lovely..." Sousiel had seen some amazing places in her travels, but there was a vibrance to this faery city that was unmatched. It pulsed with a life of its own, as if each building and even the streets had heartbeats. Her eyes roamed its beauty with awe.

She slipped her arm around one of Triss' and tucked herself neatly against her side as she finally took note of the way the strange inhabitants were looking at them. Suddenly she was very aware that she was out of place, and that she wasn't the only one that noticed. "Did I forget clothes or something? Hopefully they're just admiring your beauty."

Triss giggled as Sousiel complimented her beauty, but she had noticed the stares as well. Curious, Triss took a long look around. When people saw her staring, they tried to put up mental walls. Although that worked, Triss could read their body language just as well as their minds. In all of them, she saw varying forms of apprehension. Some were just as curious as she was, others were happy to be caught in her presence, and there were some that were spiteful. She turned back to Sousiel, and shrugged.

”Maybe some of them know me, just like our guide does. The more likely answer is that they're caught up in your beauty.” She winked at Sousiel, looking at the path ahead. Their guide was walking a bit faster now, but she didn't bother catching up, the wisps were plentiful and there to guide her. ”I think this is it, Sousiel. I'm finally going to find the one I'm related to. This whole place feels like home to me.”

Sousiel did her best to ignore the glances from the fae as they made their way through the city streets. "Related to a fae huh? That would explain your delightful insanity." She elected to simply enjoy the ride for now, nuzzling into Triss' side. The city was pretty enough, and she could always murder their way out if things went sideways.

The pair eventually lost sight of their guide. While that left Sousiel concerned about getting lost, Triss hardly noticed his absence. Small wisps danced in her vision, beckoning her forward. Their path lead them up the stone steps along the waterfall overlooking the city. At the top they found that the fall was fed by a circular pond around which had been constructed a stone walking path. The fae here moved with purpose, and servants followed in their wake as they spoke amongst themselves in quiet tones.

Their path ended at a small hut at the very back of the pond. It was formed of vines, and flowers bloomed over its surface. At its base grew mushrooms, Sousiel immediate recognized that the majority of them where psychedelic. The scent of roasting meat wafted from the small archway into the small dwelling.

Fae swarmed around them, all with their unnatural grace and ease. Their servants didn't look in their direction, but they did, eyeing down Triss and Sousiel with intrigue. Triss didn't bother with any sight seeing, her first impression of the hut was enough to satiate her. Everything here screamed at her, and she craved to see what was inside the hut. The wisps seemed just as urgent, swirling around a few times before shooting inside. Triss grasped Sousiel's hand and yanked her along, into the hut she hoped had all the answers.

When they stepped inside, it was like they had shrunk. Everything around them had become larger, a nice spacious room with vines crawling and contorting along the few inches of free space. Shelves lined every wall, bottles filled with shimmering substances taking up the most space. There were also heads, shrunken down with sour grins, placed in some sort of fluid to prevent rotting. It was your everyday witch hut, but the main attraction was its inhabitant.

Their guide was standing in the corner of the room, seemingly bored out of his mind, but he wasn't the sight to see. In the center of the room, was a woman as tall as Andri -give or take a few inches, dancing and humming a meaningless tune. All Triss could see was her fiery red hair, flowing down her back in elegant waves. It was when the fae turned, that Triss made the connection. The fae’s chest was bare, revealing sizeable breasts covered scantily by a few strands of hair. Around her waist was a flowing skirt, made of leaves and twisting vines that seemed to curl and sway. The fae's face was the real kicker: unnaturally gorgeous, a strong jawline, long pointed ears, a thin nose that suited her well, almond eyes bloodshot and glassy to reveal that she was most likely high off of those mushrooms outside. However, if one were to ignore the unearthly beauty, they would see an uncanny resemblance between her and Triss.

Triss paused, her mouth agape. She looked at Sousiel, pleading for help. She didn't know what to say, or do. It was so obvious that this woman was her relative, her lost ancestor. Yet, Triss had no idea what to do.

Sousiel looked from Triss to the strange woman, and back again. 'Alright, Sousiel, your job to break the ice, just don't fuck it up.' Sousiel cleared her throat, earning the attention of those in the room.

"Hi, I'm Sousiel, and this is Triss." She gestured to her lover. "I'm pretty sure she's an errant fruit from your... loins?" Sousiel held a confident grin she didn't feel. She was pretty bad at breaking ice, and talking in general.

The woman tilted her head at Sousiel, examining the demon with her bloodshot eyes. Her mouth opened and a tongue longer than anyone had a right to shot out to sample the demon's cheek. "Ah, demon, spicy."

She turned a broad grin towards Triss, moving quickly across the room to sweep the girl into an embrace. "Triss! Ah, I remember your... great something like it was yesterday. What brings you here with such diabolic company!"

Triss watched the fa-her great grandmother sample Sousiel’s cheek with her abnormally long tongue, frozen still until she went to wrap Triss up in a strong embrace. Triss fought back a sob, her body melting and her head falling onto her grandmother's chest. She felt connected to the woman before her, even though she didn't really believe the story about her remembering her grandfather.

”I came here with Sousiel,” She paused, forcing down another sob with the clearing of her throat. ”I came here with her, so I could find you! I didn't even know you were still alive.” She reached up, holding the woman's face and turning it to make sure it was real. ”W-who are you? I'm actually part Fae?”

"They call me Ysera, and I suppose it suits me well enough." Her tongue darted out again to stroke Triss' cheek. "And you are delightfully part Fae, a few generations removed sure, but Fae nonetheless."

She deposited the girl onto the floor, and returned to her cooking. "I'm sure you have questions, and I've got cooking to do before I can give you a proper tour. So, ask away."

Triss was set back down on the floor, and licked just as Sousiel had been. Her heart beat a little bit faster as she was told that she was indeed, part Fae. She sat down cross legged on the floor, trying to sort out all the questions in her head. She beckoned for Sousiel to come sit next to her as she did, mouthing a ‘thank you’ for breaking the ice.

Triss decided to start simple, and delve into the harder questions over the feast they were supposed to be having. ”Why did the powers skip so many generations, Ysera? Do all the Fae here see in double the way I do?” She paused, fiddling with her red hair and comparing it to her great grandmother's. ”I also came here, because I've been experiencing some things...things that make me crazy. Do you get the itches too, Ysera?” Her face went red, but the question was valid. Maybe here, with her ancestor, she could learn to become sane again.

Sousiel simply nodded as she made her way over to Triss' side. Ysera was a powerful Fae indeed, if her saliva mixing with her infernal composition was any indication. She was beginning to see things overlaid with the physical objects of the room, perhaps this was what Triss was talking about earlier. She slipped a hand into Triss' and fell silent, content to explore these new sensations.

"Probably because your great... lighting storm? Sorry, I don't remember your 'mortal' ancestor all that well, probably the mushrooms. Either way, she was an odd one, I imagine the intermixing of our bloodlines may have confused things. Also there's the thinning blood to consider as well, obviously." Ysera mused as she went about her pot.

"I don't suppose we see double, but then again I grew up here. Double to you may be single to me. I see double when I visit the inferno, but that might just be succubus nectar and twins." She shrugged, laughing.

She turned to Triss, concern on her face. "Crazy you say? A little eccentricity is to be expected, and youthful indiscretion like that demon lord I think you intend to molest as some point." She leaned in closer to inspect Triss' eyes. "Tell me what you mean by 'itches' dear. I've had a great many in my day, and have left an unfortunate few of them scratched."

Triss stared back at Ysera, a mix of emotions filling her. Jealousy, at never being able to best the woman before her; honor, to be caught in her gaze; and the greatest form of trust, she felt like she could indulge in her darkest secrets with this woman. When Ysera asked about the itches, it took Triss a few heartbeats to phrase a proper answer. ”Just urges to use my power. Not in a good way, of course, but to cause mindless destruction. I usually partake in my wishes, on a smaller scale...but I'm afraid if I develop my power, I could hurt people. Should I be afraid?”

"Hmmm.... probably." Ysera responded, frowning. "An urge to use your power, to explore its limits and the minds of those around you is natural."

"The destructive impulses are concerning though. Some things, and people, need destroyed. I doubt your urge knows the difference." She sighed. "This is what I get for mating with a storm witch... when do these urges strike you?"

Triss smiled, she didn't know she was related to a storm witch. All these things were new to her, and she was excited to talk about them. She glanced down at her hands, wondering what else she could do if she just learned. ”Well, they come all the time. When I'm sitting around, whilst I'm reading and the book strikes down a good character, even when I'm with the one I love.” She didn't know if this explanation was helpful, but it was the only explanation she had. ”Just the other day, I made a girl remember her death. It was satisfying...for a moment.”

"Hmm... I smell a pain inside you child." Ysera stroked her chin for a moment. "Was it time that healed all wounds? Or was it love? No matter, you need to see an Aeon girlie."

Sousiel shivered. Visiting an Aeon was at the top of her not to do list. "Can't you... I dunno, suck some of the crazy out? You seem powerful enough for that." She asked.

Ysera burst into laughter as if she'd heard the joke of the century. Tears rolled down her face as she steadied herself against her table. When the bout finally passed she grinned at the pair. "Of course not! I have enough crazy already don't you think?"

She paused for a moment as she recovered her composure. "Nope, Aeon it is. You can get her there safely right? Sure you can, anyway, Triss." Her voice took on a serious tone as she turned to her wayward kin. "You're aware that this is a realm of thought and emotion correct? Well, an Aeon is the 'physical' manifestation of a particular emotion, and nothing teaches the value of life like love m'dear."

Triss couldn't help it, she began chuckling along with Ysera as the Fae dissolved into laughter. She wasn't quite sure how bad an Aeon was. Although Sousiel seemed a bit apprehensive, Triss simply waved it off. When Ysera addressed her, she nodded along. ”Of course I know what this realm is like, I can practically manipulate everything here.” She shrugged, standing up and craning her neck to look at Ysera. ”Am I supposed to fight the physical representation of love, or just talk to it? Or...am I supposed to...” She went red, and her gaze cast down.

"I haven't the faintest! I'm not dumb enough to seek out an Aeon, I like my bits right where they are." Ysera let out another bout of laughter. "But if you do get to fuck it, you have to tell me all about it."

She gestured to a small curtain of vines. "I recommend you rest, and prepare. Tomorrow I'll gift you with my longship, and a crew, you'll have to follow the love to its realm dear. I wish you both the best of luck, but mostly you Triss. If you need to, throw the demon overboard and save yourself."

Triss laughed, of course they were going to dive into peril. She was kind of glad that this wouldn't be easy, maybe she would learn more from the experience this way..if she didn't die chasing down Love. She looked at the small curtain of vines, and nodded. ”That sounds great, I've always wanted to command a small group of Fae. I'm afraid I'll throw them overboard before I throw Sousiel, but thank you for your blessing, Ysera.”

"Of course child." Ysera smiled at the witch happily.

She took a few graceful steps into the room behind the vines, on the outside it probably looked horribly small, but it was just a bit smaller than the main room. It was similar to her room in the castle, few decorations, a desk, and the same sentient lights that were strung up in the village. There was a moss bed in one corner, the vines that made up the headboard were writhing in welcome. Triss remained in her clothes because she hadn't thought to bring any changes, and laid down on the bed. It was soft and slightly damp, but perfectly comfortable for her. She waited patiently for Sousiel to come inside, musing about the day’s activities.

"Seriously!? An Aeon? You're going to get us killed you know." Sousiel whispered as soon as Triss left the room.

"Oh hush little Sousiel, you've been through worse." Ysera's eyes glittered with mischief. "And we both know how much you want to see this one in particular don't we?"

"S-shut up." Sousiel colored lightly.

"Tell Lorelai I said hello, and congratulate her on her conquest of Deskari would you?" Ysera chuckled and waved the demon off.

Sousiel already had one of her mistress' books open as she pushed her way past the vines. 'This was supposed to be a pleasure trip, not a descent into madness She stood in the center of the room, not bothering to look up as she flipped through the pages. "Aeons, Aeons," She muttered.

Triss gazed up at Sousiel, who hadn't bothered to say anything when she entered the room. Sousiel was flipping through the pages of an ancient book, which was yellowing though it was obviously well kept. Triss sighed, she probably should have been pouring over a book as well, but she saw no fun in it. With slow movements, she took some of her tomes from her leather sack. ”Sit, Sousiel. If you insist on looking through the books, at least let us do it together.”

She opened one of her books, laying it out on her lap and skimming the pages for anything on Aeons. ”I haven't a clue why you're so frazzled. First of all, it's a physical representation of Love, what will it do? Smother us to death in its sweet embrace? Secondly, I manipulate emotions for play, if it's one ball of emotion, I should have no problem with it.” Triss shrugged, it was probably much more complex than that, but she wished it would be that simple. ”I'm sure my grandmother was just jesting with us.”

"I have no idea what a physical, whatever, of love could do. I have no idea what love's about." Sousiel said quickly. "And this book is useless." She tossed the tome on a nearby table, flopping onto the bed.

"I'm so far out of my depth here I'm starting to panic." Sousiel took deep breaths "But I can't panic, if I panic then I'm useless, if I'm useless I can't help you, if I can't help you and you get hurt I think I'll die."

"That's because I love you, which means love can kill people, which means it's dangerous, which mea-"

Triss shook Sousiel, gripping her demon's shoulders. In her double vision, she could see the girl's panic. ”Stop!’ She cried, wrapping her arms around Sousiel and taking a deep breath. ”Stop panicking, Sousiel. It's okay, we'll be okay.” She murmured, her voice steady against Sousiel's head. She planted a few quick kisses there, before slowly releasing Sousiel.

”You don't need to worry about me, Sousiel. I'm meant for this trip, I know it. If you're out of your element, I'll steady you.” Triss looked around the room, and on her headboard she found the perfect subject. A vine, squirming around a bit more slowly than the others. It was calm, and Triss knew she could use some of it. She placed her hands on it, and just like any other emotion, she siphoned it.

It was different, in this realm. She felt the vine squirm, then submit, giving up its emotion. She cradled the calm in her hands, watching as the vine became...a normal vine. It had stopped writhing altogether, losing what had made it alive. Soon, it started to regain itself, a new motion coming to life inside of it as it took from the vines around it. The process reminded her of the ocean, and although the sight was beautiful, Triss had no time to be entranced. She turned back to Sousiel, and placed her hands on the demon's arms. The calm she had been cradling there struggled, but with a little easing, it began to work its way into Sousiel. In her double vision, Triss saw the calm spread from Sousiel's arm, and slowly take over her body. It was temporary, but Triss was confident she could complete the process.

”You don't need to worry about me, Sousiel. I'll keep myself safe. What I need you to do, is protect me in a different way. I'm sure I'll feel frustrated throughout the trip, you must be there to calm me down. Will you accept that task?” Triss smiled, squeezing Sousiel's hand to encourage her.

"I'm pretty sure I'm suppo-" Sousiel's worry, and sentence fell flat as she felt a soothing sensation come over her. It slowly worked its way through her body, easing the tension from each muscle and nerve. Her worries still lurked, but she could approach them calmly.

Triss was right of course, she'd proven very capable thus far, and there was no reason to suppose that would change anytime soon. As long as she could keep the witch centered and happy they'd be fine, probably. If not? Well, then she'd regret using this time to panic, so there was no purpose for it either way.

She turned, and pushed herself into Triss' lap happily. "I can manage that, but I'm still probably going to worry. I don't think I can help it." She giggled. "Your grandmother was weird, she licked me. All of this is weird, but I think it'll be fun anyway."

Triss smiled, petting the hair of the warm bundle that had made its way into her lap. Sousiel was too cute for words, from the way she worried to the way she gave Triss toothy grins. ”Yeah, it's pretty weird...but I feel at home here. Everything is so natural. She licked me too, just so you know. Maybe I should start licking things.” She lit up at the idea, nodding merrily. ”Oh, and I'll wear nothing but a skirt made out of grass. We'll have to take some of her mushrooms, I would love to pass those out to the young witches at the castle.” She burst into laughter, giving Sousiel's forehead a flurry of kisses.

"That would be fun!" Sousiel giggled, nuzzling further into Triss. "We could follow them around and make loud noises, and watch them freak out."

"Are you gonna start licking everything? Most things are gross, so I wouldn't recommend licking everything..." The next part was something that normally came natural to Sousiel, but she found herself strangely paralyzed. "I have... uh... something you..._{couldlickifyouwantedto.}" She planted a shy kiss on Triss' arm.

Triss felt herself bloom with warmth when Sousiel planted a kiss on her arm, they were so close Sousiel could probably hear the throb of her heart increase in speed. ”You do?” She asked casually, a finger stroking Sousiel's arm like a brush delicately painting a canvas. ”I think that would be a good place to start.” She suggested with a smirk, basking in the realization that she was the one making Sousiel nervous.

"R-really?" Sousiel said, her eyes widening. They were going to make love, she was actually going to make love to someone. Triss set her gently on their bed, and moved over top of her. She shuddered at the warm weight of Triss on her chest.

"I love you." She whispered the words at the tip of her tongue, the words she'd be screaming soon enough.

---

The next morning saw the lovers standing back on the beach where they'd arrived. The ocean was how they'd left it, glittering with its own constellation of stars. The only difference was the appearance of a large longship. It was made of a strange golden wood, and its sails bore a sunburst pattern against a white background. Aquatic fae moved about, loading things onto its deck and securing the various ropes and equipment necessary to its function.

"It's a wondrous journey you set out on child, and I wish you the best of luck." Ysera had come to the beach to see them off. She wrapped Triss in another hug. "Be safe. Do you have any last questions?"

In the morning, Triss’ great grandmother had given her a fresh change of clothes. Triss had been quite happy, until she saw what she would be wearing. It was a grass skirt, just like the one Ysera was wearing. It came with no top, and Ysera stuffed her into it without letting her put on any underwear. She had said it was ‘part of the experience’. Out of spite, Triss had plucked a few mushrooms on her way out, and they were in the pocket of the skirt.

Now, they stood at the beach, ready to go off on their idiotic quest. The beautiful golden ship stood waiting, shifting slowly in the waters behind them. Ysera had given Triss her blessings, and asked her great granddaughter if she had any questions, there was only one that swam in her mind. She stood up straight, her voice calm and steady. ”Does it ever stop itching?” She asked, the leaves writhing against her skin in an irritating way.

"No, it never does." Ysera replied solemnly, before breaking into a laugh. "Go on, have fun! Remember to duck!" She pushed Triss towards the ship.

As much as the skirt had been irritating Triss, the lack of a top had been wreaking havoc on Sousiel's ability to focus on anything for very long. Last night had just whetted an appetite she never knew she had. She made her way to the ship quickly, pulling Triss by the hand. "Can I be first mate? I wonder if they have a brig, I want to send people to the brig."

Triss had no time to ask what Ysera meant by duck, as she was quickly pulled away by Sousiel. Soon she was moving along at the same excited pace, not at all modest in her topless state. The Fae didn't seem bothered by it, and in all honesty it was rather liberating. She would just have to perfect covering herself with a few strands of hair. ”Of course you can be first mate.” She replied, giggling.

"You heard her boys!" Sousiel laughed, bounding onto the deck. "I claim the front of the ship! To put my foot on and look majestic, because I'm basically just an ornament for now." She giggled and set off to do just that, drawing sighs from the crewmen.

Once Triss was aboard they cast of the tie down to shore, and pushed off into the ocean. An old Fae man turned to Triss, saluting along with the rest of the crew. "Aye, Ma'am. Set our course and we'll be away."

Triss raised her hand to share their salute, and her hair fell away from her breasts. She noted the shift in emotion between some of the men, but she didn't bother confronting them. Instead, she focused on plotting their course. They gave her no maps, no subtle clues or nudges in the right direction. They just...trusted her. The thought was almost laughably insane, but as they stared at her, expectant, she knew she had to do something.

”Of course, let me just...consult the wisps.” Triss looked at the floor, waiting patiently for the wisps to appear, her brow furrowed. Like an idiot, she repeatedly asked for directions in her head. Finally, when she was about to give up, a wisp caught her eye. Somehow, she believed it was her first guide, coming back to serve her. The wisp twirled, before shooting up into the sky. Triss watched it, and soon it was joining its kind in the sky. They had formed a thin arrow, like that of a compass, highlighted eagerly against the sky's compassion.

Triss fumbled about for a moment, then pointed where the wisps were leading. ”That way, I'm so sorry...I'm not good with maps. Or directions. In all honesty, this is my first time on a boat.”

They all stared at her for a moment, before setting off to their tasks. The older fae lingered, and when no one else was in earshot he leaned in to whisper. "We both know you're not using maps, but maybe you keep some of that to yourself? For their sake eh?" He winked and made his way to the wheel.

Sousiel had turned around just in time to catch the sight of Triss' breasts. She alternated between glowering at the men that saw it, and blushing happily at the sight. She peeled off her shirt and approached her love. "Could you do my sanity a favor and wear this, sweetheart? It's fresh and clean." She grinned, her face beet red.

Triss nodded at the commander of the boat, blushing. To work up a guise, she took out a piece of parchment along with her writing utensils. She decided she would mark down every turn of the compass above her, and maybe someday a cartographer would professionally map her scribbles. Moments later, Sousiel came up to her position, peeling off her shirt and handing it off to Triss. Triss turned just as red as her lover, quickly throwing on the top.

”Sorry, Sousiel.” She mumbled, adjusting her shirt and watching as a vine crawled out of line, wrapping around her waist and up to her neck. ”It's actually beginning to get pretty comfortable, I may take it home. What are you up to, Sousiel?” She asked, glancing up at the sky and jotting down another vertical line.

"It looks lovely, but maybe a little too lovely." Sousiel watched with fascination as the vine snaked up Triss' torso. She shook herself, and moved behind her lover, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I'm just here to keep you happy and healthy for now." She giggled. "And kill your enemies later, of course, I'm looking forward to that."

She followed Triss' gaze upwards. She'd give just about anything to be able to see what the witch did, what fantastic things lurked underneath the already wondrous sights and sounds here? She'd never know, but she could almost see it in her lover's eyes. "What do you see up there?"

A few more adventurous vines had began crawling up the fabric of the shirt that was new to them. She pushed them all down, pride, courage, passion, all falling with a thump on what Triss could only assume was their heads. Sousiel's voice snapped Triss’ focus on the sky above, which was empty in her lover's eyes.

”They're little wisps, helpful little balls of emotion that are there to guide me.” Triss said, referencing the compass that began to tilt a little. ”Under everything, there's an emotion. It's what makes the plants here alive, it's what gives the road a heartbeat. Even the huts, they are empowered with emotions too. The grains of sand are my favorite.” She added, pointing back at the beach that was now fading behind them. ”I have great power here, maybe that's why it feels so much like home.”

"I wish I could see it like you do." Sousiel sighed into Triss' back. "Not that it isn't wondrous enough as it is, but you make the rest seem amazing."

She laughed and squeezed her lover's waist. "Next time, I'll take you to the abyss. We'll visit my favorite dancehall, and I'll show you where Lorelai and I grew up."

Triss shrugged, and placed her hands atop Sousiel's. ”You aren't missing too much,” she lied. ”I think it would be like...getting high off of too many mushrooms for a lot of people.” She laughed, turning around so she could bury her head in Sousiel's shoulder.

”I would love to visit the abyss with you, and see all of your old haunts.” Triss smiled, pleased at the prospect. ”Speaking of Lorelai, I hope they're doing well down there. If you know how time flows here, we can plan our return around theirs. Share stories, and things like that.”

"I'm a prized possession for my ability to track time flow, I should be able to manage that." Sousiel declared proudly. She kissed the top of Triss head affectionately. "Mistress will be sooo jealous, I get to see an Aeon." She giggled.

---

The first parts of the trip were more akin to a pleasure cruise than a dangerous expedition. The water was calm, and the fishing was plentiful, meaning they hadn't yet dipped into the precious little stores the Fae could bear to part with. The lovers spent their days adjusting to life at sea. Triss continued working on her map, and it was coming along nicely. Sousiel would prance around the deck of the ship with a feathered hat declaring that they were now pirates, and refused to speak in anything other than her own rendition of pirate-speak.

Such expeditions never stay safe for long, and soon enough they discovered their path lead near the maelstrom. The sky continued to darken as the days went on, and the water became choppy. Then came the storms. At first they'd last only a night, maybe two. As they drew closer they grew in frequency and intensity, until finally they just never ended.

Lightning split the black sky in ragged columns, and waves tossed the large ship about like a toy in a child's bathtub. Their stores of food ran dangerously low as the men didn't have time to fish. Whispers of mutiny began, small at first, but growing with each passing day.

That's when the disappearances began, and Sousiel stopped eating. "I'm a demon, I only eat for fun anyway." She'd respond when asked, but darker rumors began to circle anyway. Each night, on her watch, someone would vanish. 'Falling overboard' or 'suicide' where the official explanations, but it was a little too convenient that it was always someone who'd once considered mutiny.

Finally the storms broke, and they found themselves on the other side of the maelstrom. Barely a skeleton crew remained of the original fifty souls sent to aid their expedition. Fishing resumed, but the crew never regained their cheer. When they'd finally arrived back on land a few weeks later the pair was ushered onto shore with the last of the supplies.

They stood in a barren tundra. In the distance could be seen strange buildings, but no signs of life, no silhouettes of inhabitants moved amongst them. The grass beneath their feet was sharp and brown, and the few trees and shrubs that remained were small and withered.

"I wish ye the best of luck Ma'am." The older Fae that had acted as Triss' advisor during the expedition bore a forced smile on his face, and was taking efforts not to look at the grinning demon next to the witch. "This is as far as we go."

During the storms, Triss had felt desperate. The moods of everyone were diminishing, and as much as she tried to rub calming emotions into them, it only seemed to be effective for a few moments. She watched as countless crewmates disappeared, and while they were possible mutineers, their lives weighed on her heart. She knew that it was Sousiel that had been...eating them. She hadn't had the heart to talk to the girl about it, because she knew Sousiel only wanted to help in her own, special way.

She stood in the barren land, the last of the crew's supplies shoved into her leather bag alongside the books. Triss smiled knowingly at her advisor, holding out a hand he could shake. ”Without your help, I would have been lost out there. Thank you for your blessings and all of the supplies, Sir.” Her eyes were worn and tired, but they managed to twinkle with some kind of gratitude. ”I suppose we should be off now. Right, Sousiel?” She asked, her voice strained, but still loving.

"Of course Triss." He reached out to give the witch's hand a firm shake, before returned to the ship. They pushed off without fanfare, and began rapidly fading from sight.

"I suppose so." Sousiel said softly. She cast a gaze over the tundra, looking for a place they could rest. The trip had been hard on her love, and she feared the rest wouldn't be any easier.

She spied what appeared to be a small shed a little ways off. "Why don't we camp out in that for a few days?" Sousiel smiled at Triss. "You can recover, and I'll see what the hunting is like around here."

She slipped a hand hesitantly into Triss' and began walking. "Sorry." She whispered. Her... consumption of some of the crew, while necessary, likely hadn't made things easier.

Triss watched the ship, its passengers eager to leave and forget about her. Because she was crazy, and she was traveling with a demon that killed most of the crew, and she hadn't done enough to keep up their cheer. She continued staring at it, until Sousiel’s voice cut through the painful fog in her mind. She turned, facing her companion.

Her gaunt face met Sousiel's soft one, and she felt herself melt. Although she was much happier now, she said nothing, letting Sousiel slip her hand into hers, and guide her over to the shed. Triss was surprised to hear the girl mutter an apology, and it showed in her face. ”They weren't in pain, right?” She asked, the words leaving her almost automatically. Usually she wouldn't mind the Fae being in pain, but she was too tired to enjoy it, or make a joke at their expense.

"Very little, love." While Sousiel would have prefered to kill them slowly, letting their delightful screams of agony wash over her as their punishment for mutinous thoughts, she simply hadn't had the time for that. From the look on Triss' face perhaps that was a mercy, she'd have to take it to heart.

For now though she had to see that Triss was smiling and well rested. "Anything I can do to bring that smile I love so much back?" She grinned at her lover. "I don't know any jokes in good taste, but I can dance for your amusement." She winked.

Triss simply smiled, but her face soon became neutral yet again. ”Everything will be fine once I rest, Sousiel. You needn't worry about me, I'm just a bit bummed.” She decidedly ignored all mention of the Fae that faced an unfortunate death, instead trying to keep Sousiel from feeling unwanted. ”A dance could be fun though.” She added, returning the wink.

"Worrying about you is what I'm good for right now, so I think I'll keep it up, just silently." Sousiel smiled playfully.

In spite of their weariness they made good time across the tundra, and within several minutes found themselves in front of the shed Sousiel'd found earlier. It was an abandoned storage shed. Most of the tools and other equipment it likely once contained had long ago been taken, but in the corner sat a bale of rotting hay. After checking it for pests, Sousiel spread a blanket over it, flattening it out into a makeshift bed.

"It's hardly luxury, but there you are Mi'lady." She winked at her lover before rummaging through her bag for her music box. A music box was a vital tool for journeys such as these. She couldn't count the number of times its tunes had bolstered spirits, or just whiled away the tedium during long days of travel.

Sousiel's was carved from exquisite mahogany wood. Embossed in gold on its top were dancing demons, and her mistress' seal. It sat on legs of silver, carved in the image of dragon's feet. It was her most prized possession. "Did you want to dance with me? Or should I just put on a show?"

Triss looked at the makeshift bed in the corner, and she couldn't be happier. Any bed at all was a blessing, but it was a bit more special since Sousiel had put it together. Besides, it wouldn't be her first time sleeping on a bale of hay. She had done that plenty of times when she wanted to avoid her parents. Triss set her bag down on it as a sort of lumpy pillow, and tried to fluff it up to make it a bit more comfortable. ”Better than silk, love. I'm sure we'll find a way to make it comfortable.”

She stared at Sousiel's amazing music box, appreciating the fine craftsmanship that was required to carve it. She clapped, waiting eagerly for it to be turned on. The vines of her skirt danced about, it was the first time in a while they had begun moving. Triss stood, bowing before her partner. ”Might I have this dance, fine lady?” She asked, in a poor impression of royalty. Triss had no idea how to dance properly, but she would play it by ear and enjoy herself.

Sousiel opened its top, and gingerly set a plate inside. She turned the small crank on its side, smiling as she heard the clicking of its gears winding up. It began to play a spritely waltz. Carefree and lighthearted, it was one of her favorites.

She turned towards Triss grinning. "I dunno, I've got plenty of options." She giggled at her own joke before closing the distance between them. "None as fine as you of course, love."

She placed one of Triss' hands on her shoulder, taking the other in her hand. With her hand at the witch's hip she lead them through a simple waltz, gliding over the dust and debris of the shed's floor. "Here we are, in an abandoned shed, in the Tellurian, waltzing." She laughed, spinning her lover. "It's a little ridiculous to think about isn't it?"

Triss laughed, looking around them at the invisible dancers in the room. Sousiel sure knew how to treat her, even if she did eat other people along the way. Before she knew it, they were performing a very simplistic waltz. Around them, dust and debris kicked up, forming a cloud around their feet. Triss saw the beauty in it, emotions flying up in a beautiful array of light colors, then settling and mixing.

Triss giggled as she was spun, Sousiel was great at this. ”It is ridiculous, but who's to say that's a bad thing?” She asked, growing a bit more confident in her steps. The music lifted her, until she regained her can do attitude. ”I'm glad to be here, even in this wasteland. I've been cooped up in that castle for so long.” She yipped, a sound of pure zest. ”And after we conquer this Aeon, we can use the mushrooms I brought!”

"I'll have to make sure you get out more often then won't I?" Sousiel cooed coyly. Their dance grew bolder as Triss' confidence increased, they spun through the dust with little grace, but a great deal of cheer. "I just never thought I'd be here, with someone I loved that loved me back. I have you to thank for that, Triss, and I won't soon forget it."

She spun her lover away, and as she twirled her back she dipped her over her waiting arm, leaning her towards the floor. Sousiel winked and stole a lingering kiss before righting them again. "And I'm looking forward to losing my better sense with you, love." She giggled. "I seem to be losing it all the time anyway."

Triss’ hair brushed against the floor as she was dipped, but she wasn't bothered by how dirty it would be. Her lips were quickly stolen by Sousiel's, and she felt like she was floating. When she was righted, she giggled and made her way over to the bed, her small reserve of energy thoroughly depleted. She wished she could manipulate her own emotions, and give herself a revival, but alas it wasn't a possibility.

”I do love you, Sousiel, I really do.” She admitted, staring at the demon with her chin in her hands. ”Losing myself with you may have to wait until I get some rest, though.” She said, stretching and yawning for emphasis. Her mind began to cloud, as the need for true rest overtook her. ”Dear, do you ever deplete?” She asked, spreading herself out on the hay bale. It was the most comfortable thing in the world, and the way the edges of the books -softened considerably by the leather bag- dug into her head was oh so heavenly. Her body relaxed, and she looked at Sousiel through one opened eye.

"I can be patient when I need to be, love, not to worry." Sousiel grinned down at her lover. She quickly packed away her music box, wrapping it in a small cloth before returning it and her plates to her bag.

She crawled over the hay bale to tuck herself tightly against Triss' body. "I deplete when I have time to deplete, or when wounded obviously." She kissed her lover's cheek before nuzzling her face against her shoulder. "Demons don't tire, and we don't relent. But apparently we do cuddle our lovers to sleep before hunting breakfast for them. Rest well, sweetheart, I love you."

”Goodnight my love!” Triss called out in a daze. She hardly heard the other things Sousiel had said, focusing instead on the rough bed underneath her. They were safe in the shed, and together they could get a good rest. With a final yawn, Triss gave in to the sleep. She had a night full of dreams, vivid and so realistic she swore she was living them.

The next morning came, just as all mornings do. Here, in the tundra, the ocean spray was too far away to spatter their faces. Instead of humidity, it was a simple, dry heat. The amber sun was straining to rise, casting a beautiful golden glow over the land. Whatever morning dew had accumulated on the grass was long gone, boiling up and burning the leaves, reducing them to their miserable browning states. Few animals roamed, mainly lizards and small rodents, anything that could stake their claim before nightfall when they would have to shy away in their burrows.

In their shed, shimmering rays of sunlight broke through the wooden frame, highlighting dancing dust particles that were swept up in the heated breeze. The leather of their satchels had become hot to the touch, anything metal was searing. Triss snored on, seemingly unaffected. Now and then she would twitch, or shout in her sleep, but her face remained peaceful.

Sousiel whistled as she worked over a small fire, she'd erected just outside their shed. Lizard meat adorned the end of thin, sharpened sticks, the fat sizzling as she rotated them slowly over the heat. In a small pot boiled what few edible roots she'd managed to find, along with some seasonings she'd fortunately had the presence of mind to request.

Each shout from the sleeping Triss brought a fresh grin to the demon's face. Her lover was adorable, especially in her sleep. Sousiel'd whiled away a few hours gazing at her sleeping features, adding them carefully to her sketchbook. When they got home she'd make some paints, and color her work. The best momento she could ask for.

She glared up at the oppressive early morning sun. She'd grown up in the pit, and would become accustomed to the heat soon enough. Triss, however, she thought might melt underneath the shimmering blaze. "We could travel through the late night to early morning hours, sleeping when the sun rose." She mused to herself.

"Don't really want to use the whole night, there are big things out there." She pulled a seared lizard off of its spike. Holding the corpse of its fellow in front of her face she addressed it. "We saw their tracks early this morning didn't we little guy?"

She puppeted the lizard, her voice spoke in a high pitched mockery of what she imagined the animal might sound like. "We sure did, and besides, that means another lazy day with the wonderful Triss. She could probably use an extra day of rest anyway."

"Astute insight Mr. Lizard." She giggled as she impaled the beast on her stick, dangling it over the fire to cook. "Besides, maybe I can find some dogs. I found a cart big enough to carry us, some dogs would make it fun."

Triss stood in the doorway of the shed, watching Sousiel talk to the roasted carcass of a lizard. She refused to judge it though, remembering all the times she had talked to Susanna like she was a person during her travels to the Castle. A small smile played on her face, and she waited until the encounter was over to speak up. ”Good morning, love. I see that the hunt was partially successful.”

She looked out over the tundra, where the heat formed visible waves. That morning her hand was laid atop a metal ring, which attached the straps to her satchel. She now had a perfect ring of blisters on her left hand, but she clenched it so Sousiel wouldn't see. They needed to start moving, and she wasn't going to slow them. Another day of rest was a beautiful idea, but it was Aeon or bust, and the longer they waited the more they would suffer in the long run.

She moved behind Sousiel, giving her a hug. She had to slink away though, the fire was far too hot, and it made her pale face red after a few moments. ”A cart would be a lot of fun, I could tame the dogs.” Triss looked down at her skirt, going through the emotions she had on her person. There was still that thin length of calm, but she felt a bit bad about using it again. ”Or, we could walk on foot. The wisps are dying to leave.”

"Morning!" Sousiel said with a small start. She internally chided herself for being so engrossed in her task that Triss had managed to sneak up on her. She grinned sheepishly. "I hope you're feeling better. Other than the shouting and fidgeting you seem to have slept well."

A hug was a welcome warmth after a long night of scrounging for lizards and talking to herself, she nuzzled into the brief embrace. "It's not much, but if you pair them with the last of the bread it should serve. The bread won't be good for much longer anyway." She handed her lover the seared lizards wrapped in a small cloth. "And I've got some roots that will be done in a few minutes."

"As much as the wisps may be dying to leave, I'm afraid you'll be dying if we do. Roasting in the hot sun is not a good way to go." Sousiel frowned slightly. "If we travel in the twilight hours, and sleep through the day and night, we can avoid most of the heat."

Triss took the clothbound lizard, carefully unwrapping it in her right hand. ”We'll save the bread for later today, babe.” She said, picking the small shards of meat off the lizard and savoring each juicy bite. It was well seasoned, and if it wasn't so small she was sure she would enjoy it much more. ”It's delicious, Sousiel. I'm sure the roots will be as well.”

She set down her lizard with a furrowed brow as Sousiel suggested they wait. She knew the dangers of going forward during the day, but Sousiel would be fine, and they could hunt as they went, and if they got water from the ocean she could keep herself from getting too- Triss stopped her train of thought, she didn't have to justify herself. ”Sousiel, I'm not going to slow us down. We're leaving today before the wisps leave without us. If you'll be fine, I'm sure I can make it.”

"You won't be slowing us down, just a small delay." Sousiel explained, smiling softly. She wasn't particularly eager to see her sweet languishing beneath the burning sun, or shivering in the icy night air either. But if the wisps would leave without them... "I just don't want this to be harder on either of us than it has to be, love. If you really insist on leaving... I guess I'll find some material for a hat, can you at least wait for that much?"

She lifted the pot from the fire, and began moving their meal into the shade of the shed. This was going to get a great deal harder.

Triss shrugged, following Sousiel deeper into the shed. She didn't want to wait, but a hat could be helpful. Underwear too, but beggars couldn't be choosers. ”I suppose we can wait that long, while you're out making my hat, I'll do some research, and collect a bit more water. Do we have any empty skins?” She turned towards Sousiel with a small smile, the amazing woman was handling the pot of roots. She felt useless, watching her hunt and cook and make hats.

"Yup, plenty." Sousiel pointed towards one of the supply bags the Fae had left them. "There's also a book of travel charms in there that I can't use. Should be a water purification charm near the front." She set the stew on the ground to cool.

She plucked a few strands of hair from her head, and approached Triss. She wrapped them around her lover's head, cutting the leftover strand so she had a good measurement. "There we go." She grinned. "Anything else you need or want me to grab while I'm out, love?"

Triss strode towards the supplies, digging through it for the empty skins and the book of charms. While she was there digging, Sousiel walked up to her and wrapped something around her head. She giggled, pulling the charm book and skins up to her chest. When Sousiel asked if she needed anything else, she briefly thought of asking for underwear, but shook her head anyways. ”Nope, don't work yourself to death, babe.” She turned around, stealing a long kiss from her lover. ”Have fun, come home safe.”

"Will do, Triss." Sousiel's face flushed from the sudden warmth of Triss' lips, and her face bore a silly grin when her lover pulled away. "Stay safe yourself okay?" She set one of her daggers on the small pile of supplies. She hadn't seen anything too concerning, but it never hurt to be safe.

Fortunately for the pair, whatever had caused this place to become abandoned had happened suddenly. The previous inhabitants evidently had little time to pack before leaving, meaning there was plenty of things to scavenge for the demon. She set out at a jogging pace towards a small village nearby.

The first wooden house she entered had the trappings of a family house. Its small interior featured two bedrooms, one was obviously the master, and the other hand three smaller bunks. The ground in the second was littered with toys, marking its inhabitants as children. She stooped to pick up a small doll, turning it over in her hands. Its seems where frayed from frequent use, its button eyes lolling morbidly from their cloth sockets.

What would cause a child to leave behind an obviously beloved toy? She set in gingerly to the side as she resumed her search.

The dresser of the master bedroom held her prize. The clothes here were too rotted to make use of, but the leftover fabric was still serviceable. She gathered several garments, including elastic from some undergarments as well as some white sheets from the closet, and turned to leave.

That's when she spied something concerning. Crouching near the entrance to a cellar was a skeleton. It was still covered in the rotting remains of its last outfit, and not a hint of flesh or viscera clung to its frame. She pulled the arm off, crunching the bones in her mouth. "No marrow..." She muttered to herself.

She examined the skull. Two small holes, one just above each temple, confirmed her fears. "Dreameater, fuck." She spun on her heels and took off towards their shed.

Dreameaters were one of the most dangerous natives to the Tellurian. They roamed its astral pathways in search of sentient minds to consume, making prey of Fae and traveler alike. Some stories held that they could reanimate the corpses of their victims as thralls to their service. The sudden abandonment of this region suddenly made a dreadful bit of sense.

Triss had left the shed shortly after Sousiel, stealing a few roots on her way out of the door. She was using their blanket as a makeshift shaul, and while it was horribly warm, she decided it was better than being beaten by the sun's rays. She clenched her book and water skins tightly, and made off towards the nearest source of water.

The closer she got to the beach, the more she found herself relaxing. The heat shifted from dry to humid, and before she knew it, she was feeling a the spray of the surf against her face. The grass, while still dead, was a bit more green. She saw the sand before her, glistening with all of its glorious emotions. She exhausted herself, running towards the water with a childlike glee.

In the next few moments, she was standing in the water, cool sand disappearing beneath her feet as the waves washed it away. She had left her book of charms on a nearby rock, so it wouldn't get soiled. Two barren skins were tucked beneath her arm, and she was bent over, filling up a third. She hummed a tune to herself, to keep from going mad in the silence.

It was either the silly humming, or the waves lapping roughly against the water, or her utter focus on the task in front of her. Maybe it was her simple incompetence, the thought that she was safe in this wasteland. One of those things, was what got her caught. She didn't notice the thralls until they were far too close, their wading footsteps plentiful and loud in the water. Her humming stopped, as her eyes focused on the undead creatures.

They were all in different stages of decay, some little more than skeletons with drying flesh struggling to cling to their bones. Others were rotting, carrying flies around them as their putrid skin peeled off and dripped into the ocean. As much as it made Triss want to puke, she found herself unable to do anything. Her body was frozen, in shock or fear she did not know. By the time she had made up her mind to flee, they were on top of her, and her miserably slow footsteps couldn't carry fast enough to avoid their clutches.

She was dragged by the glassy eyed monsters onto the sand, where they pinned her, seemingly oblivious as to her struggle. They carried no emotion, unlike all other things in the Tellurian. They were simply void shells of what they used to be, puppeted by a master who hid in the shadows until the dirty work was done. Triss’ panic served her well, as she was able to get in a few good punches, breaking brittle bones and covering her hand in oily decay.

As she scrambled out of their clutches, she thought she was in the clear. She worked her way up to her feet, taking a long stride and preparing to run off to freedom, to the shed, anywhere far away from the hideous creatures on the beach. Triss’ plans were foiled as she was struck, not by a hand or any physical presence, but by thought. She fell with a blood curdling scream, her body stiff as a board.

Lying face down on the hot sand, Triss was unaffected by the heat searing her face. Her head had been invaded, by the screams. Screaming, the final gurgle of a man with blood caught in his throat, the roaring of a great fire. She swore she could smell the burning flesh, she knew she could see the miserable bodies, charred like an overcooked steak. Millions of scenes played over in her head, of mindless destruction and pain. Ones she would go through for fun, were now back to haunt her into submission. Her body was frozen in shock, moans escaping her parted lips. She was turned over by the undead servitors, she knew she was being presented to their master, a fine meal.

She wouldn't see it until it was the end, but approaching her was a sight worse than any of the nightmares playing through her head. A powerful magical being, of an almost comically tall stature. It strode towards her at a meager pace, knowing it was in charge from the pained moans still pouring from Triss’ mouth. Its featureless face contorted, as two pincers released themselves from its temples.

It leaned over Triss, gaunt limbs holding it up. It appeared to be observing her, though it didn't have any eyes to perform the task. Triss looked up at it, her death was toying with her. What a sad way to go, she would be turned into a zombie before ever getting to meet the Aeon, and she had only had sex with Sousiel once. She would have laughed, if she wasn't stricken with fear, and if the horrific memories weren't still on repeat in her mind.

First step: Slip into something more suitable for making messes. Sousiel hadn't ripped men limb from limb or heaped up a pile of rivals in the abyss looking like a delicate flower of a girl. Her flesh distorted as she ripped into her war form; Her torso was mostly humanoid, but for the chitinous plates across her stomach, her breasts were still unfortunately bare, something a succubus could hardly prevent. From the waist down squatted a vaguely arachnid shape of gnashing maws and sharpened appendages, from the rear extended a long stinger, gleaming with venom in the burning sun.

Second step: Determine what you're not allowed to kill. Her heart sank as she saw Triss's red hair splayed out on the beach, the dreameater's form crouched over her. Fortunately her love was the only thing on this beach she wasn't allowed to kill, that at least, was simple enough.

Third step: Freak the fuck out. Sousiel released her grip on the savage desire burning in her chest. Raged tinted her vision red as everything was reduced to hunter and victim. Her bladed legs made quick work of the thralls as she zeroed in on the object of her hatred, ruined flesh filled the air as they were cleaved and discarded, some earned the honor of being consumed by one of her many gaping maws, their bones grinding to dust.

"Fuck you fuck you, nope, ass dick fuck bitch-" A stream of profanities poured from her human mouth as she made her way towards the dreameater. It wasn't deaf, and its head perked up as the monstrosity lunged towards it.

Abandoning its meal for now, its long legs carried it quickly along the beach, away from the beasts onslaught. It turned its attack on Sousiel as it became clear out running the demon wasn't going to be an option.

Unfortunately for the creature, there wasn't enough of a mind left to destroy. Sousiel was assaulted by images of atrocity; Rooms painted with the gore of families murdered, soldiers raping the women of villages they'd razed, the screams of dying children, but they did little to slow her pursuit.

It rose its clawed hands in its defense, opening long gashes along Sousiel's abdomen, but the beast just chuckled. "All alone, with little old me." A pair of her legs severed the creature's arms, they flopped impotently to the ground as vibrant purple blood sprayed from their stumps. Her stinger impaled the dreameater's torso, lifting the creature over her head.

Her grin was far too broad, and bared far too many teeth as her jaw unhinged. She placed her mouth over the creature's empty face. With a sickening crunch she bit through, pulling away chunks of brain matter and bone as she began to chew.

Around Triss the thralls fell, no longer animated by their master's fell magics.

It stood before her, staring her down. It knew it had won, its victim so perfectly still. The dreameater leaned forwards, its pincers pierced her temples in a motion that was almost sensual. Two strips of blood ran across the sides of Triss’ head, traveling through her red hair, some of the larger drops hitting the sand. Triss groaned in protest, the feeling almost cutting through the murky thoughts of death in her head. Black spots lined her vision, her muscles strained, motionless, as she tried in vain to bat it away.

Then, it was gone. The dreameater retreated, its pincers drawing back into its head. Triss watched as it turned to face the thing that had prevented it from finishing, it bounded off, to clash with its new foe. Triss couldn't see it, but she heard the sounds of battle. She felt the subtle vibrations through the sand as bodies thudded to meet it. The profanities broke through her hideous visions, a hope filled her bosom. Before long, it was all over, she gasped as a weight left her. She could move, no longer pinned to the ground by the dreameater’s powers. Thralls fell around her shaking form, blood slowly dripped out of the holes in her temples. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at her savior, Sousiel had rescued her.

Except, it wasn't Sousiel. It was a beast, a devil. Triss knew the girl underneath the guise, but it still made her eyes water, it still made her skirt across the sand. She watched as Sousiel ate her spoils, her eyes locked on the spot. She whimpered, her mind still weak. She knew she would have nightmares, how long, she couldn't say.

A whimper brought Sousiel back to her senses. The ravaged remains of the dreameater fell to the ground as she turned. The killer's veil surrounding her vision faded as she spied Triss. The girl's look of horror drove shame into her chest. Her war form dissolved into black smoke, collapsing to her more common shape as she lost the will to maintain it.

She turned her eyes to the ground as she approached her lover, cursing internally as she noted the claw marks across her stomach. "Are you okay, Triss?" Her voice trembled with worry.

Triss watched the transformation, her body visibly shifting with relief at each phase. She watched Sousiel approach, fighting the urge to back away. Her fear was easily broken after seeing the claw marks on Sousiel’s chest. She stood, approaching her lover. “Are you, Sousiel?” She asked, reaching out a steady hand.

"I'm fine, I'll just need some sleep." Sousiel smiled weakly, taking Triss' hand and kissing it lightly. Her eyes found the small holes in the girl's temples. "I'm more concerned about these, love."

She trembled as she examined them. "Moments... a few more moments could have taken you." Fear crawled through her chest. "I'll have to count them closer, I'm sorry Triss."

Triss was still as Sousiel examined her, staring directly at the wounds buried in her chest. The beast’s claws had torn jagged wounds into her once perfect flesh. She wondered briefly if Sousiel had to deal with scarring. “Don't worry about me, it didn't hurt...I was too busy thinking when it happened.” She said weakly, her finger pressing up against the wound on her temple, it came back covered in a thick layer of blood. “I wonder how it will heal.” She murmured, distinctly fascinated by the morbid thought.

"There should be a charm or two to accelerate healing in one of the books I brought." Sousiel thought back to the visions she saw. As a demon she'd reveled in similar scenes throughout her career, but Triss didn't likely share her infernal sensibilities. What new horrors lurked behind her love's eyes?

"Are you okay up here too, sweetheart?" Sousiel kissed Triss' forehead gently. "I'm here if there's anything you want to talk about. If there's anything I can do to get that smile back just tell me okay?" Her desire to help her lover was somewhat overshadowed by her inability. For the first time Sousiel felt useless.

Triss smiled up at Sousiel, the warmth of the small kiss making her body flush. “Of course, Sousiel. I'm fine, it was nothing but hideous imagery. I've seen enough, thought of it enough.” She lied with great finesse, wrapping Sousiel up in a brisk hug. “If the trip to the Aeon is successful, I'm sure I'll just end up with a few bad dreams.”

She walked over to the book of charms, picking it up from the rock on which it laid. Triss dusted it, and opened it up to flip through the yellowing pages. “You know, I’ve never done any formal spellcasting. I'm sure I can though.” She began strolling back to Sousiel, looking for the healing charm.

"Use the one with demon blood, it's a touch easier and we happen to have quite a bit of it on hand." Sousiel's regeneration had already sealed most of her wounds by the time Triss reached her. "And I can vouch personally for its healing capabilities, and its taste, if you're curious."

Triss skimmed the pages, sating her curiosity as she went. Most pages consisted of hastening charms. Soon, she found the chapter on healing. After thumbing through it for a while, she landed on the spell which required demon blood. Of course, she was hesitant, but she presumed it wouldn't be too bad. She finally looked up, and upon seeing Sousiel’s wounds, she recoiled.

“Interesting.” She mused, staring at the wounds and chewing on her lip. “I wonder how many people could be healed with the blood of one demon?” Triss wondered, a personal thought she probably shouldn't have spoken aloud. “Okay! Let's start this charm.”

"Probably alot, if you wanted to strap me to a bed and bleed me." Sousiel giggled. "I spent a year that way once, but that's a story for later I think."

She dabbed a small cutting of cloth over her lower body, letting it soak in the blood left over from her wounds. Once it was thoroughly soiled she handed it to Triss. "I'll just look pretty while you work."

Triss accepted the rag, clenching it in her fist to keep the book from getting soiled. She didn't question Sousiel any further as far as the year long bloodletting, but her brow did furrow when she suggested she would stand still and look pretty. “You act as though you didn't just save me from certain death.”

Triss stood reading over the short incantation, for a few minutes, repeating it in her mind before finally attempting the spell. It was easy, even for her. After speaking the empowered words, she wrenched the soiled cloth and lapped at the small drops of blood that welled upon it. It tasted amazing, as Sousiel had said it would, like earthy spices and an apple candy. She threw down the cloth and kicked some sand over it once she was done, to keep herself from begging for more. She felt the throbbing in her head cease, and knew happily that she had succeeded. “Okay, that's done. The dreameater is dead. Now we have to focus on the Aeon. If the skins didn't wash away, I suppose I'll start filling them.”

"You still want to leave right away?" Sousiel pressed her fingers to her eyelids. She didn't hold out much hope if their journey becoming less dangerous as they drew closer to the Aeon, rather she was convinced it would do exactly the opposite.

Fatigue settled into her limbs at the thought of constant danger with no rest. She drew herself to her feet slowly. "As you wish, I'll pack our things into the cart, and finish your hat." She forced a grin before setting off towards her discarded bounty.

Triss frowned, watching Sousiel flee until she was little more than a silhouette. She returned to the water, where only one of the original three water skins remained. She filled it quickly, using a charm to purify it. She turned back towards the shed, but paused, not yet ready to return. She sat down in the sand, an oddity in the midst of all the gore that stained the once pure beach. The book of charms was in her lap, waiting to be used. She looked through it, ending up using it as a headrest. She used her time alone to think: about the people at home, the Aeon, whether or not they would survive the trip, and what the first course of action would be when she returned.

_{in collaboration with @SunsetRoses}

---

Their journey continued under the burning sun. In spite of its oppressive influence the duo made good time across the barren tundra, doing their best to keep cool, and sleeping during the freezing nights. The prey grew more plentiful as they approached the remains of once sizable population centers. Abandoned fields grew food aplenty for small herbavores, and Sousiel kept them fed with little issue.

The cart Sousiel had found quickly filled with the plentiful scraps of a long dead civilization. Dreameaters rarely hunted in packs, and the pair were at a loss to explain the sudden exodus that had occurred. Often times the demon would find long rotted meals set at tables during her nightly outtings, as if the inhabitants had simply vanished.

Finally they came to the lost city of Lud. In the distance they could see it highlighted against the last of the sun's rays. It's buildings where strange hybrids of stone and glass, stretching into the sky in straight lines, unlike anything the duo had ever seen. Before them was an enormous bridge of the same strange stone, fused with rusted steel underneath. It crossed a deep casm, the rushing waters below gurgling over the rocks beneath the river's surface.

Sousiel's eyes were wide and paranoid during their travels, something deadly roamed these lands, and Triss had come close enough to death in her esteemed opinion. She turned to her lover. "I don't really want to cross this yet. I've got no idea what's on the otherside, nor do I relish the thought of spending a night in those ruins."

During their travel, Triss had be little more than useless. Sousiel did most of the work, going on scouting trips while Triss stood by the cart and stretched her legs. The most Triss accomplished was charming their food and drink, to make sure it was safe to eat. She prayed for something to do, but little came. She was hardly as experienced as Sousiel, so it was pointless to try and take over. Since she had little to do, she was usually consumed in thought. Over the days, her thoughts became more ghastly, matching her dreams.

The sun's rays didn't hit her as hard under her hat, and while the heat was miserable, she was able to push through it with a straight face. She didn't whine or complain during the day, and when night came she found warmth and protection in the arms of her lover. It was sleeping that was wearing down on Triss, the nightmares came every time she began to drift. She would scream bloody murder and convulse in Sousiel's arms. When woken, she would punch and kick. Finally, Triss stopped sleeping altogether. It had been days since she had gotten more than fifteen minutes of rest.

Her eyes were bloodshot to the point of being almost fully red, she twitched or yelped at every sound. When Sousiel leaned up against her, she would clench her fist in preparation to attack, before lowering it and tucking her head into her lap. When they finally made it to Lud, she spent little time examining the landscape. She just wanted to leave, to escape, to stop the nightmares. The sooner they got to the Aeon, the better.

“You don't understand, Sousiel. We have to cross that bridge. We have to get to the Aeon.” She jumped out of the cart, her moves jerky. Her head snapped from place to place, until she was finally standing at the edge of the bridge. She looked up, at her compass that had guided them from the start. The wisps agreed with her, pointing straight ahead. She took a few quick steps, standing on the bridge tentatively. “Bring the cart.”

"Triss... I.." Sousiel fell silent as she noted the bags under her lover's eyes yet again. The witch was running herself ragged, fleeing whatever haunted her sleep, and Sousiel couldn't blame her. The demon had caught more than her fair share of fists trying to shake the girl from nightmares. "Okay, let me go first at least."

Sousiel pulled the cart onto the bridge and pushed on, navigating carefully around the areas where the bridge had fallen through. The structure swayed in the wind, groaning underneath its own weight. About half way across Sousiel vanished with the sound of cracking stone, along with their cart and supplies.

"Goddamn it!" She snarled, pulling herself up from the hole that had opened beneath her. She made her way back to Triss, cursing beneath her breath. "Any ideas on how to cross this damned thing?"

Triss watched their materials plummet into the chasm below, she was about to find a way to help Sousiel, but her lover had pulled herself out of the hole that had opened in the bridge. Their only way over. The hole was too large to jump, and if they had any magical charms to help them in that situation, it was long gone down the river. She knew it was her fault, she hadn't stopped when Sousiel had told her to. Now, their food, their water, everything was gone.

She looked up at Sousiel, the sincerest form of apology floating in her eyes. She had no time to be apologetic though, they needed to get over the damned bridge. “I don't know, really. The vines making up my skirt may be long enough to stretch across...but I don't know if they'll be strong enough.” She looked down at her skirt, a worthy companion...she didn't want to risk them, especially as they writhed. They were too cute to be sacrificed, which was a lot to say for plants. “What do you think?”

Sousiel wrapped her arms around Triss, pressing her head against her shoulder. She took slow, deep breaths as she fought to calm her growing frustration. Once the bile was gone from her throat she kissed her lover's cheek lightly. "Alright, let's see..."

She walked to the side of the bridge. The steel support structure holding the stone path aloft was rusty, but still mostly servicable. She looked over the steel beams, and spotted what could be their way across. Over the side of the bride, five feet below the surface, ran a small metal ledge. If they could get their feet on it, they might be able to shimmy across.

"Triss, come look at this." She called her lover over.

Triss forced a reassuring smile, walking towards Sousiel to see what she had discovered. As she leaned over the edge of the bridge, she saw the small metal ledge beneath them. She knew that getting down there would a stretch for the both of them, and she figured falling on the ledge too hard would cause the rusted metal to bend or even break. “Good catch, think we can make it?”

"I was going to ask you the same thing." Sousiel said simply. "I'll help you down if you think we can make it, otherwise..." She shrugged. "I'll figure something else out."

“The softer the landing the better, we don't want to break our secondary bridge. Lower me down, and we'll work from there.” Triss suggested, craning her neck to get a good view of the ledge. On a closer look, she found epicenters, focused points of intense strain that spreaded out and carried over the entire bridge.

“Let me try something, before I go.” Triss murmured, reaching over the bridge. Her hand outstretched, she called for the emotion. It was like calling for a puppy that didn't know its name, and she sat there for a few precarious moments, before feeling the flood of emotion hit her hand. The first epicenter spread, now partially relaxed and much less concentrated. She had no idea how this would affect the physical bridge, but she continued down the line, calling desperately for the strain when she hit the hole and it wasn't directly under her. She carried a massive ball of it in her arms, and when it was time to rid herself of it, she moved it into the ground. The ground sunk like mud where she placed it, but it was better that than putting it in a human source.

The whole task must have looked strange to Sousiel, because in her eyes Triss was just prancing along the bridge and reaching out her hand. Triss, however, patted herself on the back for a job well done. She felt renewed, having actually busied herself with a task. When she looked down at the ledge, the previous intensity had gave way to a new softer source. They would have to be careful, but now they had an easier path. “Now you can lower me.”

"Alright, be careful, love." Sousiel felt a good deal more confident about their crossing. She couldn't see what Triss had done, other than the green glow that heralded the use of the witch's magic, but she seemed satisfied with it. Unless she had elected to kill them both, that boded well for her.

She helped Triss over the small railing, then took her forearms to lower her slowly down to the small ledge. Once the witch had her footing, Sousiel followed suit, doing her best not to jostle or put too much pressure on their precarious foothold. "I'll go first again, remember me fondly if I fall and die."

“Don't worry, you won't die.” Triss said quite simply, looking anywhere but down as they slowly shimmied across the bridge. They were silent, focused entirely on their work. Their makeshift bridge didn't creak or groan under their pressure, a small comfort. When they made it to the edge, they cautiously lifted themselves back onto the bridge. Triss went after Sousiel, making sure her companion was up and safe before even attempting the short climb.

The lost city of Lud was a ruin of what was once a gleaming marvel of human engineering. Even now the buildings stretched into the sky as titans of stone and glass, no less formidable in their dilapidated state. The streets were lined with lamps, some still flickering with a strange light that had no source. Great steel carriages, oddly devoid of any rigging for horses, barred their passage, and the pair were forced onto sidewalks and alleyways as they made their way through the corpse of the once great metropolis.

The city wasn't empty though. Things skittered just out of sight as they passed, lurking in sewer grates and the darkness of alleyways. Triss' wisps ushered them on, but they hadn't been informed of the state of Lud, and the streets they indicated were often unusable, or barred by rubble.

The sun continued to sink over the horizon, sending long shadows over the streets as light began to fade. "Between navigating and the sheer size of this place I don't think we can avoid being here at nightfall, do you want me to try to find a secure spot for us?" Sousiel turned to her companion.

When they finally stopped, Triss began investigating the strange city. Triss tapped the steel carriages. They looked interesting, but without attachments for horses, how did people expect to move? She peeked inside the glass window of one, and saw...a wheel? What sort of idiot put a wheel on the inside of their vehicle, and why were the seats facing the front? How did someone expect to converse?

She was about to snort a laugh when Sousiel addressed her, pulling her attention away from strange carriage. “Yes, that would be great, dear. While you do that, I'll try to find a way past this rubbish. The wisps won't stray from their course.” Triss said, rolling her eyes and pointing at the sky where the wisps stood, beckoning her forwards.

"We may just have to go around, and meet them elsewhere." Sousiel smiled wryly before bounding off in search of a safe place.

Sousiel found her way back to the small intersection where she'd left Triss. A silly grin curved the demon's lips, she'd found a spot. Not just any spot, a great spot, with comforts, security, and even a view.

"Triiiss." She called in a whimsical singsong. "I found the best spot, with the most amazing stuff. It's even mostly clean."

Triss sat atop the warm metal of one of the carriages, waiting eagerly for Sousiel to come and see her new collection of toys. Most of her items were stashed away in her new knapsack, which sat faithfully on her back, but she found herself making the little man on her cube jump. She had a feeling she wasn't getting very far in this little man's life, but by the gods was it fun.

When Sousiel called for her, Triss jumped down from the roof of the carriage, running like mad to catch up to her lover. “This place is truly magical! Look at my new...cube!” She waved the device in front of Sousiel's face, before taking off her bag and digging through it. She found her clear sack of tiny cylinders, and held them up for Sousiel to see. “They work with these! They carry the power of lightning, because when you lick them, they shock you!” She set it aside, pulling out her mechanical torch. “This gives you light, out of nowhere! It must have been crafted by a genius light witch.” She said, pressing the black button on its surface and shining the beam of light in Sousiel's face.

Sousiel squinted against the beam of Triss' light, shooing it away she looked with awe over the rest of the strange relics. She licked one of the strange cylinders, confirming for herself that they did indeed shock you. She giggled. "This stuff is awesome! I found a bed, made of water, these people were brilliant!"

"They even have baths... that heat themselves without using stones or anything. I don't smell any magic on them either." She tugged on Triss' arm. "Come on, you have to see. Maybe I'll even find a new music box here."

Triss giggled, shoving all of her new items into her knapsack and putting her arms through the straps. “Made of water? These people think of the craziest things!” She said airily, letting her worries drift away. There was nothing simple here, but that's what gave it its magic. Triss hadn't a clue that things like this were possible without magic, but unless Sousiel’s nose was lying, she was wrong.

“I want to try the new bath!” Triss admitted, skipping off with Sousiel in a gleeful mood. She was thankful for Lud, it upped their moods endlessly. Without the city and its amazing things, she was certain Sousiel would have killed her in a fit of annoyance.

Sousiel lead them to one of the towers of glass. The front door slid to the side, illiciting another giggle from the demon. From there they ascended several flights of stairs, and walked through a carpeted hallway before arriving in Sousiel's paradise.

"Here we are." Sousiel grinned as she pushed the heavy wooden door open.

The interior of the spacious room was dimmly lit by strange glass spheres behind small curtains. The floor was carpeted wall to wall with a rug of some fiber Sousiel'd never seen before. There where several devices whose purpose the demon had been unable to divine; A large glass panel hung on the wall, strange resin ropes ran from it to the wall. A metal box sat in an alcove of the large dresser, inside was a plate, and its sides bore numbers and strange buttons.

The main feature of the room though, was the bed. It sat in a large wooden frame, and the pillows and sheets atop it where largely untouched by the ravages of time. With a giggle Sousiel lept into the center, and immediatly sunk in as the bed rippled. "See? It's got water in it."

Triss’ eyes scanned the room, it wasn't unlike the one she had explored previously, though this one was obviously for a much smaller group of people. She took off her simple shoes, running her feet through the strange rug, which failed to shift despite her best efforts. She fell into a fit of laughter when Sousiel jumped onto the bed, and sank. Her eyes flashed with awe, some genius had trapped water in a bed.

She ran over, crawling onto the bed and giggling as it shifted and she fell forwards. “This is amazing!” She said, splaying herself out on the bed. At every shift, it would wobble, before tottering back into place. “I wonder what the day to day life was around here.” She fished through her pack, taking her torch and waving it in circles on the roof.

"Me too," Sousiel rolled onto her back, her eyes following the lightshow on the ceiling. "It must've been strange. I still don't know what half of the stuff I've seen is for." She giggled. "Maybe they rode around in their horseless carriages, inventing new stuff all the time. Makes you wonder where they all went."

"I wish we had time to stay and figure it out, wouldn't that be fun?" She sighed happily, stretching her hand across the bed towards Triss. "Do you think you'll be able to sleep here, love? You haven't been resting well."

Triss smiled, whisked away to a world of wonder. She imagined herself as a girl here, living amongst these new things and treating them as tired old things just waiting to be updated. “I think they went on to greater things, things outside the range of even this world. Maybe they built flying devices, and flew away to something new.” She said, her voice full of hope and wonder. She knew that they could also be dead, but she didn't care to admit that.

Triss found Sousiel's hand, and gave it a loving squeeze. She hadn't thought of sleep, but the simple word did numbers to her body. She relaxed, her lids closing heavily. If she did have a nightmare, she could always wake up and play with her new toys. “I'm sure I can.” She answered with utmost confidence, rolling over to Sousiel and holding her close. “Tomorrow we can try the new tub, and find new cylinders so our toys last longer.”

Sousiel grinned, elated that she'd convinced Triss to get some much needed sleep. She melted into her lover's embrace as several days worth of stress fled her body. "That sounds perfect." She kissed her lover's nose playfully. "Goodnight dear."

---

"Triss, wake up, something's happening." Triss awoke to Sousiel's fearful tone.

The demon was at the window, gazing in curiousity and apprehension at the streets below. Twisted humaniod shapes roamed the stone pathways, they crawled over the wreckage with their noses to the ground like a wolf on a hunt. Drums could be heard in the distance, growing closer with each passing beat. The skyline glowed with the orange light of distant bonfires.

"We need to get ready to move." Sousiel stepped away from the window, and began packing their things.

Triss’ night was blessedly calm, there were no dreams or nightmares just a deep sleep. Her body felt rested, and she was prepared for an easy wake up with Sousiel in her arms. Instead, she was woken abruptly by the urgency in Sousiel's voice.

When told to get ready to move, Triss immediately put her toys into her knapsack and slipped it on. This was all she had now, as far as belongings went. She didn't dare look outside the window, the risk of being spotted was too great. “Okay, I'm ready to move.” She said, heading for the door and waving their waterbed goodbye.

"Are the wisps around?" Sousiel asked as they made their way to one of the external staircases along the outside of the building, she didn't want to risk stepping out onto a main street if she didn't have to. "Could you... I don't know, attune them to the city or something? I don't think we'll have the opportunity to take our exit slow."

She opened the access window, and much to her horror the strange creatures had already gathered at the bottom of the iron stair case. "Looks like our exi-"

She was cut short by the bark of gunfire, much to rapid to be a musket. Her shoulder sprayed blood as a bullet grazed its top. She quickly slammed the window shut, and turned the locking mechanism at its bottom. "Motherfucker, that complicates things a bit."

Triss cursed, trying not to pay attention to the blood that had spattered into her hair. She looked at the lock on the door, knowing it wouldn't hold long against the rapid fire muskets. “The wisps direct me to where I need to be, they don't take barriers into account. They may redirect to take us into safety, but I wouldn't count on it.”

She took Sousiel by the uninjured arm, rushing off down hall. They had nowhere to go, if the access windows were cut off that meant the staircases had to be. It was much to high to jump. There was one plausible idea that made Triss queasy just thinking about it. “There's always the metal doors, but I don't know if they'll work here. If we can get down to the wisps, I'll make sure we get out safely.”

Sousiel nodded. The entrances were likely being watched as well, but they could hope the main body of their enemies had been sent up to meet them. "Alright."

The metal doors were locked, and the button on the wall did not seem to function either. Sousiel wrenched them open with a grunt and the screaming protest of steel contorting. Beyond the doorway was a square shaft that ran down to the bottom floor, and several metal ropes ran up its center.

Sousiel turned her back to Triss, and wrapped the witch's arms around her neck. "Down we go, hold on." Claws extending from the demon's finger tips, and she slid down the wall of the shaft with Triss in tow, leaving long rents in the stone as she slowed their descent.

When they stood safely in front of the next set of doors, the ones leading to the main lobby, she turned to her lover. "My nose tells me we've still got several on the other side of these, Triss. Several we're going to have to go through."

"I can take a few bullets, but not that many. I need you to do something, drive them against each other, make them passive, something okay?" She cupped the witch's face in her hands, and kissed her gently. "If I don't make it, run, if neither of us make it, I love you, okay?" She turned to the door. "Tell me when you're ready."

During the ride on Sousiel's back, Triss accepted the moment they were having as their last. She had been crazy to accept the mission to visit an Aeon, putting both her and Sousiel in danger. Everything up to that point had been a hideous wreck, all because of Triss. Now, they would be going out with a muffled cry. Hideous, but hardly memorable.

She pushed back the waterworks threatening her eyes as Sousiel spoke. It was a lost cause, but she had to admit her spirits were raised by Sousiel's determination. Her eyes glowed a blinding green, and she gathered up every bit of calm and passiveness she had in her skirt. Weights were set on her heart, she knew it wouldn't be enough. “Always ready, love.” She said with a wink, watching Sousiel pry open the metal doors, their last defense.

The five creatures on the outside of the door were sickly things. What had once been human, was little more than a mangled skeleton. Their transparent flesh was pulled tight against their new figures, giving full view of their blackened veins, pumping a thick blood. They had jaws wide and disfigured, leaking drool onto the floor. Their crooked noses flared, like a bloodhound detecting its prey. Despite their current conditions, all five held sleek guns in their crooked arms, muzzles pointed towards the entrance of the elevator.

The things that happened next occurred in moments, but for Triss, time had slowed. The world was her mind, and she was there to play. Her vision became clouded, until she could see nothing but emotions. Bullets moved around her, slow enough that she could reach out and touch them in this realm of hers. She saw one heading towards her at a snailcrawl, but her eyes were solely focused on her victims.

Raw hunger, rage, devotion, all flooding from her enemies. Their forms were blurred, where there used to be a sharp contrast. The calm in her arms flooded out, searching for its targets. It hit three of the creatures with devastating force, overtaking them even though their rage fought against the intrusion. At the same time, she was caught by a bullet. The sudden shockwave pulled her from her newfound world. She let out a piercing scream, her hand finding the wound that had torn through her ribcage. Shock and adrenaline carried her, she remained standing, still ready to flee.

Sousiel tore through the small opening, ripping into her warform. Bullets tore through her flesh, but not in the torrent she'd feared. The rattle of guns on the marble floor reached her ears as three of her victims dropped their weapons, overwhelmed with tranquil looks on their twisted faces.

The two remaining combatants were not enough to stop the beast, their features contorting with fear just before a violent spasm from Sousiel's forelimbs painted the lobby with their gore. Thoughts of mercy dissolved when Triss cried out in pain, and the demon quickly fell on the incapacitated creatures in retribution. It was over in moments.

Sousiel and Triss fled to the street in front of the building. The drum beats still grew steadily closer. The demon turned to its companion. "Take my blood, we're not out of this yet."

"Your wisps better know what the fuck they're doing, it's up to you to guide us out of this." The beast lowered its belly to the ground, its legs forming into a few steps. "Quickly, before I lose my shit."

Triss accepted the offer of Sousiel's blood, suckling one of her open wounds for a few moments until her pain was just a rough throb. She then mounted the demonic form of her lover, looking up at the sky. It was like her compass had split in two, some wisps still pointing towards the rubble path, another group shifted westwards just slightly. “That way, love.” Triss said simply, pointing in the direction of the less stubborn wisps.

The wisps guided them down alleyways and broken streets with the maddening drums and creatures in close pursuit. Bullets wizzed by the pair in constant threat of cutting their flight short. Ambushes were turned aside with magic and claw, each one closer to claming their lives. They pushed deeper into the city at a desperate pace.

Finally they came to the city's abrupt end. The street ended with a cliff that stetched out to either side as far as the eye can see, as if the city had been cut in half. Before them stood several immense carriages linked together with steel. They all sat on a rail that extended over the vast distance of the casm. Titanic shadows danced just out of sight in the cyclopean dark of the distance, but the drums at their heels quickly erased thoughts of returning.

"Into the breach it is. Figure out how to make that thing go, I'll see what I can do to buy you time." Sousiel deposited her lover on the ground, before turning and bounding back into the dark of the city.

Triss watched Sousiel leave, running off into the depths of battle like a true warrior. She did her part, running towards the caterpillar of carriages. She entered a door, running through carriages with plush satin chairs on her way towards the front of the machine, which she believed housed the key to starting the behemoth.

She entered the uppermost carriage, which was full of controls. The levers and buttons were there, but they were covered so thickly with emotion that their shapes could not be discerned. She separated the positive from the neutral, going over her choices. Determination, patience, hope, satisfaction, anticipation. After sitting there thinking, the realization struck Triss that this was an order puzzle. She had to work her way from beginning to end, in order to get the metal carriages moving.

“Why couldn't it just be horses? What's wrong with horses?” Triss cursed, kicking at the controls. She knew the order, it was quite simple. She just didn't know what would happen once the damn thing had started. If it started moving, and she left Sousiel… There was no time to think of the consequences. Sousiel would make it back, she was sure.

She flipped the switch that held determination, and the front of the train let out a thrum, the sound of a thousand bees collectively buzzing. Moving on, she pressed the button of hope, there was a chuff as more parts flared to life. The interworkings of the machine turned, slow and steady, adjusting and working off the fine outer layer of rust that had accumulated there. Once the anticipation key was turned, the train lurched forwards, ready to start its course. Afraid it would leave without Sousiel, Triss slammed her palm down on patience. Everything was working, thrumming, ready. The lever of satisfaction was waiting, eager to be pulled, eager to start. The last step was waiting for Sousiel.

The roar of the steel beast coming to life shook Sousiel from her murderous reverie. She tossed the corpses of her foes from her sharpened appendages and bolted towards the square that held their only hope of escape. Bullets pelted her flanks as she shoved overturned carriages into the path behind her. The drums reached a frenzied pace, driving the creatures forward as they sensed their prey's escape.

She broke into the square, blood pouring from countless wounds along her thorax and human torso. Lurching towards the open door she felt the last of her unholy vigor leave her just as she reached it. Her war form collapsed as she stepped into the carriage. "Go!" She called through a mouthful of blood.

Behind her the creatures stuggled over the makeshift barricade Sousiel had left behind her. Sparks flew from the metal of the carriages as bullets pelted it, but none found their mark.

Triss pulled the final lever with all her might, not looking back at Sousiel until the carriages had reached a steady pace and the ricochet of bullets was long gone. She sat down next to her lover, and cradled the giant beast’s human half. “I couldn't have asked for a better protector.” She murmured lovingly, knowing there was little she could do for Sousiel. They had no proper medical supplies, so it was demon blood or bust. “Rest, love, I'll wake you when we get somewhere.”

---

Sousiel's condition was touch and go over the next several days. Without her will to sustain it her monstrous lower half eventually dissolved, leaving her looking every bit the delicate victim of chance that she was. Her wounds wept blood, her strange anatomy slowly pushing metal out of her body. She shook with fever, calling out her mistress' name, as well as Triss', with an empty longing.

Eventually the girl fell silent as she began to heal, the worst of it behind her. The holes in her flesh knitted together, she slowly regained color, and finally fell into a restful sleep.

All the while they continued. The strange carriage moved through the black expanse at a blinding pace, a small console at the front tracking their progress towards Can-ka-no-Rae. The words meant nothing, but filled Triss with fearful anticipation nontheless.

The metallic carriage lurched to a stop, they were in a room underground. It was like a basement, plain except for the support poles with meaningless signs on them. There were a few metal benches for seating, but the main attraction was the staircase. It was made of the same smooth stone as everything else, but she could see a light emanating from the top.

Triss looked over her console, and confirmed that they were in Can-ka-no-Rae, the destination that had been the source of her fears and hope. She turned towards the sleeping form on the floor, slowly moving over and nudging Sousiel's healing body. She had been a deep rest for a while now, and Triss missed her company. “Sousiel, we're here. Wake up, love.”

Sousiel stirred, her eyes fluttering open. "Of course we're here. Where else would we be?" She said dryly, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Sorry, I'm evidently in a foul mood this morning. Good to see we're alive."

She sat up slowly, checking over her body for signs of remaining damage. "All my bits are intact, how nice. Did your wound close, love? It would be wise to have you whole of body before something else tries to usher us into the great dark."

Triss smiled at Sousiel, happy to hear her voice, bitter or no. She gave the demon a once over, already knowing that most of her wounds were healed. Triss rubbed her ribcage, where the outer wounds had healed incredibly well. She still felt sore after activities that were too strenous, but that was easily looked over. “I'm fine, thanks for asking. Let's be off, Sousiel. I'm ready to stretch my legs.” She held out a hand for her companion, who had been bedridden for far too long.

"Yes, let's." Sousiel sighed as Triss help her to her feet. Her body was energetic, the stiffness of several days on the hard floor of the carriage could be largely ignored. A deep fatigue had settled into her mind, however, as Triss drug her heedlessly into danger after danger.

She understood the witch's need, but fear and pain threatened to turn the demon's affection bitter. She just wished they could pause for a day or so, even a few hours of something sweet. "Alright, any idea what's up next?" She stretched, working the small kinks in her body out as she mentally prepared herself for the remainder of their journey.

“Well, the short version is: find the Aeon, and go home.” Triss sighed heavily, tossing on her her knapsack and opening the train door. After looking around the room, she stepped onto the cold stone floor. As soon as her foot hit the ground, she was bombarded with wisps. They had left the air, quite obviously, and a small group was now circling her, waiting for her to start moving forwards.

“I don't quite know the long version yet, but it starts with us walking out of this basement.” She said simply, taking her torch and swinging its beam of light around the room. She waited patiently for Sousiel, before walking after the wisps.

"Can... can we take a little break?" Sousiel asked timidly from the doorway of the carriage. She was near her wit's end, and needed something. She didn't know what it was, but the demon feared she'd come to resent this moment if she didn't get it. "Maybe just talk a little? Play a game? Anything..."

Triss paused, nearing the steps. She was so close to the light, only a few steps away. This didn't stop her from turning back to Sousiel and smiling though, a promise written on her face. “Of course, Sousiel.” She said, retracting herself from the light and standing before Sousiel. A fire was being kindled in her eyes, one that had nearly died.

“Tell me what you'd like to do, and I'll do it.” Triss told her, wrapping her arms around the demon in a gentle embrace.

"I don't know what I want." Sousiel pressed her face against Triss' shoulder, a small sob shaking her frame. "You've nearly died more times than I'd like, I've been torn nearly apart."

Crimson tears poured over the demon's cheeks. "I'm just scared, I don't want you to die here, I don't want to lose you." She held her lover tightly. "I've never been in love before, I've never been this scared before. I don't know what to do."

Triss ran her hand over Sousiel's back in strong circles, listening to her lover's pleas. “I know, Sousiel...I haven't exactly been the best tutor, either.” She smiled weakly, pulling away so she could wipe the bloody tears off of the demon’s cheeks.

“Why don't we talk...we haven't done that in a while. It's your turn to tell me about your history.” Triss suggested, taking Sousiel's hand and delicately leading her to one of the comfortable carriage cars.

"Okay." Sousiel said weakly, a smile curving her lips. The oppressive tension in her chest relaxed some. She took a seat on one of the benches, pausing briefly to admire its satin upholstery. "I was born to be a familiar."

"I don't mean that as a calling, like a man is born to be a fisherman." She giggled. "I was literally forged in the pit to be Lorelai's familiar, I never had any other purpose."

"I met her when she was... eleven? It was just after her family died, she bound me and well... we went on adventures and stuff." She smiled sheepishly. "I feel a little silly, Lorelai and I have done things like this, but I've never been so scared."

She looked at Triss, meeting the witch's gaze. "Why am I scared Triss?" She looked away shyly. "I might be a little sad if someone else died, maybe even cry a little, but if you died... I hurt just thinking about it."

Triss stared up at Sousiel with a child's wonder, imagining herself in Sousiel's role. She regained focus when Sousiel questioned her, asking her why she was afraid of Triss' death. "Well, Sousiel, you're afraid of me dying because you're close to me."

She fiddled with her hands, trying to find a way to elaborate. "Done people are closer to your heart than others. For example, if my mother and father died, I would sob. Yet, if Ysera died, I would probably only be upset for a few days. The closer someone is to your heart, the more you feel for them when they are hurt." She paused, wondering if Sousiel understood her explanation.

"You must be awfully close to my heart then." Sousiel said with wonder, looking down at her chest as if she could somehow see Triss lurking there. "It's strange... I'm afraid, and I normally run away from, or kill, things that scare me."

"I'm afraid if this love of mine, but I don't want to run from or kill you." Sousiel grinned. "I want to run towards you, and do... other stuff to you."

She sighed. "I don't think I'll ever be any good at this, but thank you for letting me try." She smiled weakly. "I do love you, for what it's worth, and will keep trying."

Triss laughed, wiggling her eyebrows when Sousiel mentioned 'other stuff'. She was sure the demon meant dancing, or talking as they were now, but Triss couldn't help finding the suggestiveness of it. "You don't have to worry about being good at it. I'm horrible at love, yet I've made my way, and found a lovely woman to stand by my side." She took Sousiel's hand, and kissed it proudly.

Sousiel's face flushed as Triss kissed her hand. She pushed herself gently into her lover's lap, resting her head happily against her shoulder. "I'm hardly lovely, but I'm yours."

The little chat, and a few sweet words had done wonders for the tension in Sousiel's heart. It thudded happily in her chest again, content once more with its place in the world. The demon grinned, stealing Triss' lips briefly. "Just let me stay here for a little bit, and I'll be okay. Then we'll see this Aeon, and go home."

Triss' face ignited, becoming a harsh red. She grinned like mad, running her fingers through Sousiel's hair. "Of course, Sousiel." She whispered, leaning back against her seat and closing her eyes. "This Aeon is probably going to disappoint me." She acknowledged in a hushed tone, shaking her head with a faltering grin.

"I doubt it," Sousiel giggled, giving her lover a lingering kiss this time. "But if you're really worried, I'll give you something memorable, right here if you'd like." Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

Triss smirked, tapping Sousiel's forehead. "Here? On this train? Why, I couldn't even consider it!" She faked a gasp, overexaggerating her action. She leaned down and peppered Sousiel with a few kisses, showing her true intent. "However, it would be refreshing. And, if I die because of this Aeon, at least I'd die happy."

---

After the lovers had enjoyed themselves to their heart's content, and returned what scraps of clothes they had left to their bodies, the stepped out of the carriage into the dark of the basement.

Their fireless torches lit the way to the foot of a large stone staircase. Light filtered into the basement from above, and bird-song reached their ears. They paused to look at each other for a moment, recognizing in the back of their minds that their journey had come to an end. With a deep breath the climbed the staircase towards light.

They stepped into a field of roses. They sky over head swirled, invisible lines of power drawing the clouds and wind around a black edifice. An imposing black tower reached into the beautiful blue sky from the center of the field. Glowing golden names crawled across its surface, the names of every ardent lover who ever strived for something better. It was transfixing, like gazing on the center of the universe. Warmth filled their chests as they struggled to comprehend its scope.

”Welcome to Can-ka-no-Rae.” The caretaker called out to them. Sousiel’s eyes fell upon a painfully beautiful blonde girl. Her smile sent shudders of shame through the demon’s sickly spirit. She was dressed in a simple floral gown, her silken locks cascading down her shoulders in soft waves. She stood from her crouched position, moving towards them in greeting.

Triss’ eyes, however, were met with an entirely different sight. Vast galactic constructs brimming with limitless cosmic power made up this Old God’s true form. They swirled around two brilliantly burning eyes. A gentle warmth filled her, this creature knew the name of every man and woman, every blade of grass, every crawling insect, and counted them its children. It wept for every lost soul, and sang sweetly to each new child, giving them their first dream. It had presided over creation, when the first morning dawned on mankind, and would be there when the last light went out.

Tendrils of power wrapped around Triss, drawing her spirit into a warm embrace. ”You’ve come a long way to find me, and suffered much little one. What can a simple caretaker do for you, Triss Felminah, scion of Storm and Harvest?”

Triss stared at the power before her, in the vague shape of a woman. The Caretaker of all, a mother who watched her children from afar, but with a love unmatched. Her spirit was warm, her eyes felt heavy. She wanted to sleep in the Caretaker's soft arms, take in every name etched in the sky.

She had come with a purpose, to remove her insanity. Was that really what she wanted, though? There was so much to say, so much that could be answered. Would she really waste it on herself? Triss chewed on her lip, stepping towards the cosmic entity with a hand outstretched. "I came with a purpose, of course. Yet, what I'd really like, is to talk to you."

"I traveled far, to find you. Sousiel risked her life for me so many times. I ask for time, with you. Answers to my questions." Triss took a deep breath, smiling wryly.

"Time we have, dear, although not as much as we had when the world was young." The stars of her form pulsed with mirth. "But that's the way of things isn't it? Go on, child, ask your questions. I'll answer what I can, then see to your companion."

Triss smiled, captivated by the burning eyes before her. "First, I'd like to know why my great grandmother is. The storm witch." She paused, hoping the caretaker could answer the simple question.

"I'd also like to know...about the big threat. There is a war coming, yes, but the elder witches talk of something bigger. Can you tell me what you know?" Triss bit her lip, hopeful. The Aeon had to know more about the threat than anyone, and any information was helpful.

"The first question is simple enough. Alice has gone by many names, and lived many lifetimes. Abandoned in the woods as a girl her rage found kinship with elemental fire, her dreams touched sister sky, her mecurial temperment soothed water, and even the earth beneath her loved her." Triss was met with a vision of a young girl with white hair. Her eyes burned with rage, and lightning crawled across her shape. Cities crumbled to earthquakes in her wake, and storms split the sky overhead, claiming those who fled.

"Eventually she abandoned her mortal form, joining with the primal elements to become what she is today, disaster personified." The vision faded.

Triss let out a breath she had been holding during the vision, her eyes clear. She had felt the electricity in the air as lightning cracked around Alice, the rumbles of earthquakes taking the lives of many. Triss' heart rate intensified. She lusted after that sort of power, but she also knew it was a danger to herself and others.

Alice probably had the same dreams as Triss, of death and glory. She managed to succeed in her dreams though, becoming a presence of destruction. "Thank you, for showing me my grandmother. Now, to the next question." She asked, fighting to find her focus.

"Yes, the darkness at everyone's doorstep." The Old God visited Triss with another vision.

She stood in a field back on the material plane. A calm breeze swayed the flowers, and brought sweet scents to her nose. The sun's rays were a gentle warmth on her face, and bird-song filled her ears. Children played heedlessly in the grass, chasing each other with bright smiles on their faces.

A shadow crept across the clearing as something passed in front of the sun. Triss' eyes were drawn towards the sky. She saw there, stark against the vast blue, a seam. It split the sky from horizon to horizon, and began to yawn open. Impossibly horrific things poured from the rift first. Skittering alien beasts that escaped description landed amidst the flowers, and began to paint the field with blood.

Still the rift widened, and soon larger things joined them. Gods that never where, and never could be, strode into the world. Reality strained in horror at their invasion, and soon even time died. She stood now in a barren land, devoid of light or change, no air, no gravity, just the cold dark.

Her vision returned to the clearing, and the Old God spoke sadly. "Annunkai, a still-born universe, hunts our world of light and warmth. It will consume it in its quest to be real, to exist, unless it is stopped."

Triss stood, shellshocked. She had seen the end of days, the creatures that were coming to destroy them, and leave nothing behind. It had happened so soon, and in such a vicious place. Those poor, sweet children...

She looked down, closing her eyes to flush out the things she had seen. When stars lined her vision, she was ready to speak again. "Tell me, Caretaker. Tell me what can stop it. Please." Triss wanted to beg, fall on her knees, but she couldn't. She stood staring into those eyes, seeking answers to a seemingly impossible question. If the elders hadn't found a way, how could she?

"When the time comes, when the outerdark reveals itself in the sky," The Caretaker spoke softly, stroking Triss' back. "Show it your resolve, your strength, cling tight to what you have, and don't go gently into its black embrace. Prove to it your will to live is stronger, that you deserve to survive."

"You have what you need, the might of the hunters and witches can beat them back. The will of your elders is transcendant, and can seal the rift. The question is, will you throw it away on petty hatred before the end?" She whispered. "Or will you strive for peace, against the odds?"

Triss pressed her face against the woman's shoulder, her body trembling. She held on to each word the woman said, like they would fly off if she didn't. The chance of the hunters and witches finding peace was at an all time low, but the chance of them surviving without peace was even smaller. Would the threat on an apocalypse stop the squabble? Only time would tell, but she knew she had to get back to the mortal realm to find out.

"Thank you, Caretaker. I will pay great heed to your words." Triss said, her voice weak. She broke the strong embrace, turning to Sousiel and beckoning her. "Your turn, love." She said simply, tears running down her cheeks.

Sousiel approached the girl timidly. She wrapped her arms around Triss in a show of silent support as she addressed the Caretaker. "Hi... I'm Sousiel."

"Yes you are, I've watched you and your mistress for a long time little Sousiel." The Caretaker beamed at the demon, glowing with pride. "I'm pleased to see love inside you yet. Fighting like a wide eyed, half starved, crazed survivor in a hostile land, but love nontheless."

"It's sweet, and even a little humbling to see you strive." She said wistfully. She turned to Triss, a playful smile on her lips. "I don't suppose you'd let me keep her would you?"

Triss pulled herself out of her thoughts, just enough to give the Caretaker a warm smile and a shake of the head. “I'm afraid I would, Caretaker. There are many that love her, and would hate to be without her presence. Me especially.” She winked at Sousiel, before retreating into the columns of her mind.

"Yeah, I'd prefer not to be kept, thanks." Sousiel grinned at the Caretaker. Staying here with this blindingly beautiful creature was a pleasant thought, but she had better things already.

"How unfortunate, for me of course." The Caretaker giggled. "I'll collect you one of these days Sousiel, but until then I'm sure there's something you wanted right?"

"Right..." Amidst all the excitement, and the Caretaker's dire prophecy, Sousiel'd nearly forgotten why they'd come here in the first place. She looked at the witch in her arms, concern on her face. "I mostly want you to heal Triss here. She's been having trouble with destructive urges, and more recently nightmares. Can you help her?"

"Of course, dear, I can manage that." The Caretaker turned to Triss. "Triss? Child, I'm going to need you to relax okay?"

Triss stared quaintly up at Sousiel, surprised the demon would use her first request to aid her. Triss pressed up against her, not quite ready to have the Caretaker invade her mind again. Would she be different? Would she lose the one part of her that made her feared throughout the castle? Was that really a bad thing? Her tense body slowly relaxed, and she held her head up to the swirling cosmos that made the Aeon. “Of course,” she muttered reluctantly. “Thank you both.”

The Caretaker pushed gently into Triss' mind. "First thing's first, I can see some dreameater scars in here. Let's clean that up."

The dreameater had left tears in Triss' mind. Deep slashes festering with nightmarish visions and sensations frayed the witch's thoughts. The Caretaker was pleased to see that they were healing on their own, slowly but surely. Sousiel, however, had been clear with her request. The Aeon extended a hand, absorbing all of the emotional content from the visions. Triss would remember what she had seen, but it would be a distant memory, devoid of any real power to affect her any longer.

Next were the urges. The Caretaker moved deeper into Triss' mindscape. It was a chaotic realm, not unlike the Tellurian itself. Powerful emotions ran rampant, seemly unchecked by the witch, but each stood ready to offer itself to Triss' growing power. She examined her favorite emotion, and was pleased to see the girl's love burning brightly. A temple stood in the chaos of her mind, an altar to Sousiel and a blonde haired man, Alphonse.

With love came fear, and the Caretaker saw it here. Behind Alphonse stood several shadowy figures, each laughing coyly, poised to snatch him away. There were other duties in Alphonse's life, ones he said meant nothing, but Triss was fearful nontheless.

Sousiel sat in the temple, learning from Triss. Lessons of love and kindness, and the demon drank eagerly. Just behind the warmth was a vision of fear, that once the demon had learned enough she'd move on. The Caretaker giggled at the girlish fear, but she supposed she had an insight into these things Triss did not.

"Triss, if Alphonse's duties bother you that much, then ask him to stop. If he doesn't, then move on, this fear of yours is unhealthy." The Caretaker whispered into the witch's mind. "And Sousiel's quite literally crazy about you. She's a safe bet, quit worrying about that."

She paused for a moment to leave a small offering, silently encouraging the warmth, before moving on. Throughout Triss' mind were tendrils of black insanity, and the Caretaker followed them home.

She stood in the darkest recesses of Triss' mind, and beheld her insanity. It was a pulsing mass of screaming desire, a cancerous blight of selfishness and alien need. Images of destruction played out on the walls of its cavern, of minds shredded and dreams broken. Control through fear, dominance through strength, and an unholy rage. Triss had spent too much time being alone in the dark, and had nurtured a hungry thing to make her do what she believed was neccessary. Now it had taken on a life of its own, pushing the witch to new heights of depravity.

The Caretaker couldn't simply remove it, it had long ago become a central piece of the witch's identity, but she could give Triss something to fight it with. "A frightened man will do what you say, so long as you're there. A man that owes you a kindness for kindness given will do what you need, because he wants to."

"Strive not for rulership through fear, Triss. It's power is fickle, and can only chain the weak. Instead seek love, fellowship, and rule through that." The Caretaker pressed the parable into the pulsing insanity. "Sousiel did not bleed for you because she feared you. She acted on your behalf without being ordered, and with your best interests at heart, because she loves you."

"You'll not earn more of her love by hurting her. That's the great secret Triss, fear is temporary, love can last forever." The mass' pulsing slowed as the Aeon filled it with her lesson.

She hoped it would help. The beast would still hunger, still scratch at her mind to destroy and ravage. Whenever it did though, Triss would remember her words, and perhaps that would make the difference.

The Caretaker finally withdrew from the witch's mind, to stand again in her field of roses. "Triss? How are you feeling?"

During the process, Triss felt more soothed than she ever had. The Caretaker’s gentle suggestions were numbing, making her smile shift from apprehensive to vacuous. She knew this wasn't what her ‘patients' felt, but she wished they did, it was heavenly. She couldn't make sense of any major differences yet, but she knew the Caretaker was doing something right. It all felt refreshing, and it made her eyes drift closed heavily.

If she wasn't so attached to the sensation, she would have put up a firm resistance the second the Caretaker brought up leaving Alphonse. Triss had never once thought of that, and up until that point it wasn't a possibility. For all of her anger and fear, she could never willingly leave Alphonse. It was a torturous thought, that she pushed into the deepest corners of her thought.

When the Caretaker was done, Triss felt...normal, unusually so. As a test, she called up an insane thought. They came to her easily, but they didn't have their usual lure. She could play the images as much as she wanted to, but she didn't feel any itches. She felt powerless, in a good way? Her brow furrowed, so obviously flustered. “I feel fine, I suppose it worked. Thank you.” Her gratitude was honest, but she had a slight tone to her voice.

"You're quite welcome, I'm pleased." The Caretaker smiled at her warmly, before returned her attention to Sousiel. "You're entitled to another boon, Sousiel. Speak your desire and I'll make it so."

The demon looked up from her lover's face. Triss looked better, but something was bothering her, she'd just have to ask about it later. "Uh... Triss is healed, prophecy delivered with solutions..."

"I guess you could teach me more about love, if you had the time. Other than that, I'm fine." Sousiel shrugged, grinning.

"As you wish, child." The Caretaker smiled softly.

Sousiel's eyes widened as the Caretaker undid the clasps of her dress. "That's not what I mea-"

Sousiel jaw fell wide open as the Caretaker's simple gown slid down her form, bathing the demon in her transformative glow. She glimpsed passionate perfection for a fleeting moment, but a moment was all that was needed.

Crimson tears spilt over the demon's cheeks as inky black smoke rolled off of her nubile form. Her essence twisted as the black urges inside her could no longer survive next to her new Truth. She sobbed as she was remade, reforged by the Caretaker's light into something new and dangerous. Love was not always gentle, and as her love expanded so did her capacity for atrocity. Sweet thoughts pushed her tolerance for bloodshed to new heights, and left her hungry and savage.

Finally her sobbing came to an end, and she wiped the blood from her cheeks. "Thank you."

"Of course, Sousiel." The Caretaker winked as she replaced her gown. She turned back to Triss. "Are you ready to go home?"

Triss’ hand rubbed deep circles into Sousiel’s back, until her sobs were over. She was unable to see the Caretaker's nude form, but she was sure it would have been too much for a mortal such as she. She planted a quick kiss on Sousiel’s forehead, before looking up at the Aeon who had sparked this entire deathly mission. “No offense to you, but I believe we're both ready to go home.” The corners of her lips turned upwards in a smirk, and she tightened the straps of her knapsack.

The Caretaker smiled, stepping towards them with graceful sweeps of her legs. “As you wish.” She leaned forwards, taking Triss’ cheeks between her velvet hands. Triss stared at the scenery around her, her lips a firm line, taking the most amazing kiss she would ever have in the most awkward way. It was sweet and gentle, motherly and lustful. As the Caretaker moved on to Sousiel to give the demon a kiss, Triss was pulled out of the Tellurian in a small burst of light.

---

Triss was home, finally home. The stale air of the room was scented lightly with the fragrance of the wilting roses sitting on her windowsill. Everything was exactly where she had left it, she patted her back, happy to find her knapsack had come along with her. She had fallen to her knees in the midst of her relief, waiting patiently for Sousiel to appear next to her.

The bed creaked in protest as Sousiel appeared with a small flash of light a few feet above it. She squealed briefly before realizing that she wasn't falling to her death, just the soft embrace of Triss' bed.

She looked up and grinned as her eyes found her lover, safe and sound. "Good to meet a god with a sense of humor, even if she was a little flirty." She scooted to sit on the edge of the bed. "That was fun, but maybe next time we just go dancing?" She giggled.

“I do love to dance, yes. Triss would make a lovely partner for me.” An unknown voice commented from Triss’ desk. There sat a perfectly white studded snake, coiled up as if prepared to strike. It began to slither towards Triss, sliding off the desk onto the floor.

Triss squealed, picking herself up and finding shelter next to Sousiel. After all the things she had seen, she couldn't believe she was still fearful of snakes. “What the hell are you?” She cried out, prepared to strike it with whatever she had.

Sousiel sighed and lunged at the serpent, snatching it with a clawed hand. "Just when I thought I was done killing stuff for the day, how pleasant." She grinned malevolently. "I think you'll make excellent slippers when I'm done. Now just hold sti-"

“Tut you vile little wench!” The snake hissed out, writhing in the hand of the demon. “I am Triss’ new guardian, special orders from Ysera herself. Unhand me at once!” He bared his fangs at her, though he knew it would have no effect on the demon.

"Vile little wench?" Sousiel cackled, turning towards Triss. "Sweetheart? I suppose this means you want me to release it, lucky little serpent."

Triss stared at the writhing serpent in Sousiel's hand, his white body so long it dragged on the floor. A guardian? She didn't know if the gesture was sweet or demeaning, she had yet to find out. “Yes, please release him Sousiel.” She said calmly, watching as Sousiel dropped the snake.

Before his body could collide with the ground, the snake transformed with an audible pop. He stood before them now, a graceful and towering man in a well fitted tunic and trousers. His features were striking, long white hair flowing down around his shoulders, two distinct black streaks throughout. His ears were long and feathery, his eyes a pale blue. He strode over to Triss, taking long calculated steps. Once he had approached her, he kneeled, taking her hand in his.

“Triss,” he stated proudly, kissing the back of her hand. “It is a pleasure, and honor to meet you, Scion. I am Ettien, your new guide.” He said, kissing up her arm as he spoke. Before he could make it too far, he was met with a hard strike on his head, coming from Triss herself. He smirked, standing and pulling her close to him. “How did you know? I love my girls feisty.” He stated, the whole show an act made for Sousiel's eyes.

"Triss? Darling?" Sousiel's face bore a rictus grin that bared far too many teeth. "Please tell me that you hate him as much as I do. Then I'll dance in his ribcage, after eating his heart and skinning him." She spoke softly, carefully, as her eyes dilated.

"Otherwise I think he may need to learn some restraint, a lesson I'm familiar with." Her eyes twinkled maddly. "I wouldn't mind teaching him either, I promise to be gentle."

“Triss wouldn't hate me, I watched her grow from a baby into this beautiful thing before me.” Ettien dipped Triss, making her hair sweep the floor. He pulled her back up, eyes glinting mischievously. “I know more about her than anyone, isn't that right, my sweet?” He poked her on the nose, grinning.

Triss pushed out of his grasp, a hard thing to do with it being so firm. She didn't want to find out what he knew about her, having watched her from birth. She turned to Sousiel, eyes hard. “I'd love it if you could, but I don't believe it's the right thing to do. He's a gift from Ysera, I might as well keep him around.” She struggled to remove herself from his grip once more as he squeezed her from behind. “The sooner we get him a new room, the better.”

"That means you get to live, but Triss won't be around all the time Ettien." Sousiel approached him slowly. "If you expose me to more of... this, I will hurt you. Are we clear?"

She forced a grin. "Now, why don't we see about that room hmm?" She opened Triss' door. "Go outside, and pick one that's empty. Then I want you to sit in it, and think about how best to nagivate your new service with all of your bits intact. Okay?"

Ettien chuckled, his hands still attached to Triss’ hips. “I don't take commands from hellspawn such as you. Besides, I would much rather stay and play with my new partner in crime.” He stroked Triss’ hair, staring into the eyes of Sousiel the entire time.

When he received another few smacks, he released his hold on her. Triss grimaced, pointing towards the door. “Do as Sousiel said, find a room and stay there until called upon...or if you need to get food and other such things.” She shrugged, not knowing what a Fae would need.

“Triss, the finest delicacy is your blood. That is the only true sustenance I desire.” Ettien grinned wolfishly, licking his lips. He stood at the door, a hand loose around the handle. “Which brings me to a strange request. Will you be so great as to fill up a few vials with it? Thank you kindly, my sweet.” He shot her a wink, and exited the room.

Triss slumped down onto the bed, thinking about his request with a shudder. “He's...eccentric, don't you think? Should I really give him my blood?”

Sousiel never heard Triss' question, she'd been pushed too far. As Ettien finally turned to exit the room, Sousiel lunged. His face met the corner of the doorframe, a sickening crack filled the room as blood and teeth sprayed from his handsome visage.

As soon as he hit the ground Sousiel was on top of him, claws tearing long gashes in his chest and face. "You'll fucking take commands from me if you know what's good for you!" She spat in the man's face.

"There are things I can tolerate, and things I can't. If you cross that line again in my prescence, I'll kill you. Triss can't save you from me scum." She stood and stomped on Ettien's genitals, shuddering as the satifactory sound of his pelvis cracking reached her ears. "Now clean yourself up, and get the fuck out of my sight before I change my mind."

Ettien was surprisingly calm as his body was destroyed. Going through thousands of years receiving wounds like that had hardened him, but when his pelvic was crushed he let out a scream which trickled into a moan. “Did you have to get my fucking balls?” He spat out, alongside some blood and an extra tooth. He didn't wait for a response, drawing himself up onto his knees. With a pop, he was a snake again, crawling miserably to the room nearest Triss’, into which he slithered.

Triss watched the violent show take place, her mouth agape. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. Was it wrong to want to cheer Sousiel on, when she should have been following Ettien to his room to tend to him? “He'll be okay, right? You did good maiming him. What set you off in particular?”

"Triss, I'm aware that you love other people. That I'm not the only one that gets to hug or hold you." Sousiel took deep breaths. "That's hard for me, but I'll endure as best I can okay? If I have to see it though, I don't think I can handle that."

"This flirtatious wretch just reminded me that soon you'll be whispering sweet nothings to someone else." She said sadly. "That's okay, I don't want to make you choose between me and Alphonse. I'll do my best to reflect on the time that I've been given. But between the unwelcome reminder, and his lack of respect for your wishes, I kind of lost it. I'll lose it again too, so please, make sure he's on his best behaviour."

Triss wrapped Sousiel up into her arms, understanding her concerns. She had similar ones towards Alphonse himself, which brought back the memory of the Caretaker's suggestions. “As far as Alphonse goes...I won't lie to you and say I don't love him, my love for him is strong and burning just like my love for you. However, the Caretaker herself brought up something I need to take into consideration.”

Triss paused, resting her chin on the top of Sousiel's head. “Ettien, is..different, but I'll make sure he doesn't continue to bother us. There's so much we can do, to distract ourselves from him. We can go dancing in your favorite hall, freak the other witches out as we show them our toys. Maybe we can make a water bed! Things like that are special, experiences that I can only share with you.” She kissed her head, grinning.

"I know you love him, that's what makes it acceptable. I just don't want to share those things with someone you don't love, and if you start to love that thing, I'll freak out, promise." Sousiel giggled, turning in Triss' arms to face her. "But so long as you remind me that you love me once in awhile, and keep being sweet to me, I'll be okay."

"I'll keep at it if you will sweetheart. I want to love you forever." She kissed Triss lightly. "And I'll take you to all my favorite haunts whenever we get the time, we'll drink succubus nectar and get stupid together."

"When I make a water bed, and I will if it kills me, you may have to endure a few lewd experiments of mine." She rested her head on Triss' shoulder. "Thank you Triss, I'm feeling much better."

Triss returned Sousiel's excitement with a wide grin. If it wasn't for the blood and gore sitting on the floor beside them, she might've asked for sex. “Succubus nectar and lewd experiments? You spoil me!” She giggled, feeling rather gay. She had never indulged in succubus nectar, but wherever Sousiel was involved, fun followed. “I'm glad I could make you happy. I have to start practicing this ‘love and respect’ thing somewhere.”

"You always make me happy, or try to get me killed, sometimes both. Either way it's always fun around you." Sousiel flushed, all the blood and gore beside them had her feeling frisky. She leaned up to grace Triss' lips with a deeper kiss. "Two ideas. One, I go find Lorelai and get back to work. Two, I take you to your room and spoil you to your heart's content, and find Lorelai in the morning." She giggled, her eyes twinkling with equal parts lust and mischief.

Triss tilted her head, only needing to consider the options for a few seconds. “I have to find Medusa...but that can all wait a night.” She laughed at herself, so concerned with the demon she had before her that even the end of the world could wait. She was either desperate for a little action, or hopelessly in love. Or both. “Shall we start?” She asked, diving in to give Sousiel another passionate kiss.

"You're everything I ever wanted." Sousiel lifted Triss, cradling her lover, unwilling to break their kiss as she navigated back into her room, closing the door behind them. They had a war ahead of them, and another after that. Tonight the demon was content to let thoughts of Triss dominate her mind, and sweet sensations overtake her body. The world would have to wait.

_{in collaboration with @Meiyuki}



Sousiel woke up well ahead of Triss, as expected. Extracting herself from the witch's grasp was delightfully difficult, as intertwined as they'd managed to get, and Sousiel considered just staying put several times.

She grinned down at her lover's sleeping visage. They might never wake up at the same time, but she'd always get to see this, a fair trade in her opinion. She retrieved some parchment and ink from Triss' desk to leave a small note. All it said was 'I love you' and went on to thank her for the night, but Triss deserved to wake up to something sweet too after all. She left the note on the bedside table and made her way out of the room quietly.

The halls were mostly empty this early, still about an hour away from the sun's first light. She nodded to summoners as they drug themselves to their chambers after long nighttime rites as she made her way towards Lorelai's office.

She pushed the door open slowly, and let herself inside. The room was still dark, Lorelai wasn't here. Sousiel sighed and examined their connection. Evidently her mistress had yet to return. She flopped down in her desk chair, and retrieved her mistress' pipe.

She turned on a lamp and began going over documents and plans, looking for where best to apply her talents.

Elizabeth woke up surrounded by her entourage. Butch and Beebop had crept inside the door, staring at her. The mouth on Butch’s hip curled up with a cheshire grin full of fangs. Bob laid over the top of her, mouth wrapped around her arm, chewing hard enough to draw blood. She had gotten used to his strange cuddling patterns, and the scars from his morning nibbles healed up well enough that she didn't have to mention them to anyone. Bo was stretched out on a lounge chair, book in hand. As his claw skimmed the pages, he tore up the delicate golden leafed sheets.

Elizabeth smiled at them all, sitting up and tearing her arm away from Bob’s mouth. He wailed his complaint, but let her go. “Good morning, everyone.” She told them, giving them all a nod.

“Morning, Lizzie.” Bo rang out, clutching Elizabeth's arm with a softly padded paw. “You should really tell Bob to stop doing this, you'll ruin the sheets! Lorelai is going to be in a tizzy.” He told her, clicking his tongue.

“I'll do no such thing, Liz likes it rough.” Bob screeched, picking himself up and stretching out on the floor.

Elizabeth chuckled, pulling herself out of bed and wrenching her arm away from Bo. “Yeah, something like that.” She told them as she got dressed. She didn't know if changing around them was bad, but they made no mention of it, and she didn't mind at all. They were like her...brothers.

They made their way down the stairs shortly after, heading to Lorelai’s office. Elizabeth would have to find time off that day, she had plans with Andri that had yet to be fulfilled. She opened the door, jumping at the sight of Sousiel. Instinctively, she threw her arm around her back, the wounds were beginning to close over but they were still present. The rest of her squad filed in behind her, and when they saw Sousiel they gave her slight nods, staying quiet.

“Sousiel! How are you? Haven't seen you in a while.” Elizabeth smiled brightly, moving to take a seat on the same plush chairs that she had been opposite of for the past few days.

"The Tellurian was every bit as beautiful and deadly as I'd hoped." Sousie's eyes lingered on Liz's sides, where she'd hidden her arms. That was curious, and Sousiel could almost smell blood. "I killed new things, ate new people, and spent some lovely time with Triss."

"How have you been holding up?" She looked around at Liz's new entourage. She remember that all of their names started with B, but beyond that she couldn't be bothered. "I see you've made new friends."

“That sounds like good fun, I'm glad you had a grand old time. Was Triss a fine partner?” Liz asked, wiggling her eyebrows. It wasn't her place to pry, but Triss sure went around. First Andri, now Sousiel. Witches were truly strange in that way.

When they were mentioned, Elizabeth tilted her head towards her friends, smiling. “Yes, they entertained me while you were out and about. Tell me about your trip.”

[cikir=92278f]"Triss is crazy, and doesn't pay too much attention to how dangerous her surroundings are."[/color] Sousiel grinned. "In a word, she's perfect for me. Although I have to share her with Alphonse apparently, that might be tough."

"The trip was amazing, the Tellurian is awesome. We almost died several times, I ate most of a ship's crew worth of Fae, and we met the Aeon of love. Fun stuff." She sighed happily. "But enough about me, you still haven't told me how you're doing."

“Aeon of Love? Eating Fae? Should I ask...or would it ruin the romance of the situation?” Elizabeth asked, tucking her chin into her palms. The Tellurian seemed like a wonderous place, and it all but swept her mind away from the fact that Triss had yet another lover. It also kept her from answering the question Sousiel handed her yet again, she didn't want to regale her with stories of boredom and sitting at a desk.

“I thought Fae were nature types. Why were they on a boat? Why were you on a boat with Fae, aren't they elusive types?” All the demons around Elizabeth leaned forwards, seemingly interested in the tale as well. Elizabeth was wide eyed, a child in the presence of an adult with a good fairy tale or legend.

"Triss is related to Fae, and they gave us a boat and a crew so we could visit the Aeon of love. An Aeon is like a... manifestation of an emotion? That's the best I can do." Sousiel shrugged. "Anyway, Fae are... I dunno, dreams? They have a lot of nature iconography, but I don't think they're nature types."

"I had my musings in my notebook, but I lost it." Sousiel groaned. "Right, and I also lost my music box, Lorelai's gonna kill me. Oh well, at least I had fun before the end."

Elizabeth knew this wasn't the best explanation, but it was the only one she had for now. There were books on the subject, and paintings that captured the basic concept. There was also Lorelai, a great source of information on almost any subject. She would just have to wait until Lorelai came back up from the abyss.

Her train of thought was snapped in half as Sousiel mentioned Lorelai killing her, causing Elizabeth to smile bright. “I'm sure she wouldn't be your end, Sousiel. She loves you to bits, and though she will be upset I'm confident she'll find a way to move past it.” She said calmly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

"Loves me to bits huh? Sometimes I think she doesn't need me anymore, but that's probably okay, just means more time to myself." Sousiel smiled. "She probably won't kill me, she'll just look at me with that hurt and dissapointed face, and I'll kill me."

"You still haven't told me what's up with you." Sousiel frowned. "I'm starting to think you might be avoiding the question, what's up?"

Elizabeth sighed, thumbing the small white dots that stood out on her arm. What did she have to tell? Really, there wasn't anything she was avoiding, but she had no story for Sousiel that could wow the demon. “Nothing I'm avoiding, it's just boring desk work. I'm so stressed, I've been getting sick in the morning. Bo has been helpful, he sleeps by my bed with a bucket in case I wake up sick.” She glanced at Bo, who smiled back. “I thought my time with Andri would help, but the moment I got home last night I emptied my stomach. General duties are weighing on me.” She groaned out, glad to tell someone other than her closest confidants.

Sousiel grinned mischievously. Surely Elizabeth had thought to brew her own tea right? Her prank couldn't have lead to this. She let out a loud cackle. "Elizabeth, have you been around any strange or unexpected penises lately? And perhaps forgotten to brew some contraceptive?"

"Because it sounds alot like you're pregnant." Sousiel fought to surpress more mirth, but eventually decended into a fit of giggles.

Elizabeth's hand shot to her stomach, she ran her hand over the toned surface. She wasn't pregnant, Lorelai couldn't have kids with that penis she had spawned. Could she? Her eyes widened, and she felt bile rise in her throat. She already had two children to worry about and love and all that weird parent stuff. She didn't want more, not yet.

Bob was much more enthusiastic, he roared with pride, racing over to Elizabeth. Using his snout, he peeled up her tunic. He began trying to bite her stomach, a loving gesture in his books. “I'm going to be an Uncle! Look at me!” He yelled out, finally finding a way to wrap his jaws around Liz’s stomach using her side as a path.

Elizabeth responded by swatting him on the head, rubbing her stomach protectively. If there was a baby in there, it wouldn't die because of a love bite. “Sousiel, Lorelai isn't fertile. She can't be, I can't have a baby...I don't have the skills to protect a thing in my stomach while I fight a war.” She moaned, slamming her head onto desk. “I can't wear armor with a baby bump!”

"I'm pretty sure Lorelai's done shooting blanks, Liz, leaving your infertile body behind for a new one tends to do that." Sousiel arched an eyebrow at Liz. Evidently this was going to be hard on the woman, but there were things that could be done. "The Amazons fought wars with baby bumps, and so can you. Lenny will just have to be creative."

"Your friends are convinced, I'm relatively convinced, and you seem too worried for someone that's sure she's not pregnant." Sousiel smiled.

Liz peeled her forehead off the desk, almost motivated. She could have a baby. She had to have a baby, Lorelai would be so upset if she dropped out of the race now. Lorelai didn't have to know tho- She had to have the baby. She couldn't kill it, it was living. She would have to deal with it, because it was living. Maybe she couldn't be as hard on herself in training, but that was fair.

It would be great, it would do...baby things. She did baby things as a child, it would do those things too. If she could keep the child's ‘Uncles' from killing it, then everything would be just fine. “You'll help me with this, right. You're the godmother and the Aunt, so you have to help. If it turns out that I'm not pregnant, I'll do whatever I can to repay you.” She pleaded, her eyes going soft.

"Relax Liz, of course I'll help." Sousiel nudged aside the small desire to torment the woman. "And I'm honored to be the godmother, although unsure what that is." She let out a small laugh.

"First thing's first, Lizzie. Do you want to have this baby?" Sousiel shifted uncomfortably. Lorelai wouldn't be thrilled about Sousiel offering what she was offering, at least not without the opportunity to weigh in. If Elizabeth didn't want to have this child though, Lorelai could dodge some heartache if it was dealt with now. "It's a big step, and you've had some doubts. I don't think you can turn back from a commitment like this, not with any grace."

Liz tensed, she could feel the eyes on the back of her head. She had a sneaking suspicion that the demons didn't care too much about her choice, they just wanted to see her finally flail under pressure. Bob stared at her with vacant eyes, and though they were nothing but black holes she could sense the emotion prodding her. Bob wanted the baby, and while he wouldn't mind her choice, he would think she had missed out on something epic.

Then there was Lorelai, a presence that haunted her even from down in the abyss. If they got rid of the baby now, Lorelai would never know, they could be happy in the future with baby number two. Lorelai would want to know though, and it tore Liz up inside. She remembered talking about a family with Lorelai, and while they had mused about it being a future event, this little thing was their chance. “The baby...I don't necessarily want it. I-I just couldn't do that to her, Sousiel. You know what I mean, right?” She clenched her jaw, releasing it to let out a forced chuckle. “A godmother takes care of the baby if the parents die, just so you know.”

"I do understand that Liz, but you can't afford to think about it like that." Sousiel smiled softly, reaching across the table to set her hand on Liz's arm. "If you have this baby, it needs to be because you want it. Do you want to resent Lorelai down the line for pushing you into this?"

"Lorelai's wanted a child of her own for a long time, but she's wanted a partner longer. I don't think she'd trade your happiness for a baby Liz." She gave the prospective mother her best reassuring smile. "So think about what's right for you, okay?"

Elizabeth thought back to the times she had wanted a baby. In her youth, she had carried around a porcelain doll in her parent's mansion, pretending it was her own child. Once, she had flashed a servant as she went to ‘feed’ her baby. Looking back now, she realized the servant had been fired because of her. Other than that, she couldn't recall a time in which she had wanted a baby.

Still, she had to talk to Lorelai first. She had to see what her lover thought before she could make a decision. The little bun in her oven was half Lorelai, after all. Maybe it would be the best decision of her life, maybe not. She couldn't tell yet, but her mind was made up. “I want it, I want to keep the baby. It's my child, too.” She said confidently, overshadowing her doubt.

Sousiel's face bloomed into a bright grin. "I'm elated to hear that." She stood from her seat and came around the desk to give Liz a brief hug. "If there's anything you need don't hesitate to come find me, I'll help you in anyway I can."

"Also, consider this a formal request to be around when you tell Lore. That's one expression I don't want to miss." She giggled.

Elizabeth briefly wrapped her arms around Sousiel, before they pulled apart. It was a lovely show of affection from the demon, and she felt warm inside. “I'll make sure you're notified, I can't wait until she finds out. I hope she'll be happy too.” Elizabeth chimed, her voice airy. She could see Lorelai's face now, a million different expressions filling her eyes as she closed them.

“Okay...so, let's move past the baby situation for a few moments. Why were you in Lorelai's office this morning, did you find anything wrong with my planning?” Elizabeth asked, brow creasing. She didn't know how many times she had gone over those plans. They had to be flawless, if they weren't she would likely stab her eyes out.

"Works for me, I'm sure she'll be thrilled." Sousiel returned her attention to the maps she'd been examining. "Back to work. I was looking over your plans for where to apply my talents, trying to get a jumpstart on getting to work."

"As for your planning, it's inspired, cunning even. The only 'errors', if you can really call them that, I saw came mostly from your understandable lack of knowledge of demonology." Sousiel retrieved a scap of parchment she'd be writing on. "Lorelai rarely leaves notes about these things, but for example Lamashtu is a breeder demon. At first glance she's useless, but if you supply her with genetic material she'll push out an army for you. I've got some other notes clarifying some of Lorelai's sevitors and their talents."

"I place myself at your disposal, Elizabeth, use me as you see fit." Sousiel couldn't help winking at the huntress. "My talents are murder, hunting, and bedside comforts."

Elizabeth returned Sousiel’s wink, but she had plenty of bedside comfort. Bob refused to leave her as she slept, which could be a problem when Lorelai returned. Butch and Beebop acted as her bodyguards, with Beebop being especially dangerous having once tried to kill a garden witch that gave Elizabeth a headache because she was too chipper. Bo was Bo, caring and cuddly when he wasn't being wise and cunning. She hadn't even thought of their place on the battlefield, other than the fact that they would be on the battlefield.

It was something Sousiel could help her with, so she beamed at the demon. “You're a genius, Sousiel. If you would like, you can go into the battle by yourself. You can also inhabit me, and give me an extra push...both for strength and motivation, in case I get reluctant.” She let out the last part in hushed tones, a blush creeping up on her face from the shame of the words.

"Of course." Sousiel colored lightly at the praise. "I've been with Lore for a long time. There isn't a servant she has that I don't know, feel free to make use of my expertise."

"And you're a lovely host, your body is strong and your will perhaps stronger. Adding my might to yours would be an honor, and will serve to help keep you alive, which will take some worry from my shoulders." She tilted her head quizzically. "...Liz? I think I'd like to consider us friends. You helped me a great deal with my worries about love, and you hold an exalted place in my mistress' heart. Would you mind if I refered to us as friends?"

“Hm, I don't know, Sousiel.” Elizabeth muttered, tilting her head and letting the words carry in the air for a few moments. “Of course we're friends! Don't be silly, Sousiel! After all you've done for me, you can refer to me as whatever you’d like.” She said gayly, excited to have Sousiel consider her as a friend. She had considered their relationship before, and had decided the word acquaintance was a good way to describe it. Now, Sousiel had confirmed their friendship, something that made her feel giddy.

Sousiel beamed, clearly elated. That made two friends, a lover, and... whatever you'd call Lorelai. The Caretaker had shown her that love isn't just passonate, there was fraternal love for friends too, and Sousiel was eager to explore it. Even comforting the huntress had lit a small warmth in her chest.

"Yay!" The demon performed a small victory dance, twirling gayly in the small room.

"Wait, how did I talk about my trip and not show you this?" Sousiel stopped suddenly. She grinned sheepishly and dug through her pocket for a small metal tube. "Watch this."

She pressed a small button on the side, and the top emitted a bright light with no heat. She waved it around, giggling softly as the light danced on the ceiling and walls. "It shoots light out, not sure what it's good for, probably weird sex stuff."

Elizabeth's eyes followed the beam of light around the ceiling with wonderment, a tool that was apparently found in the Tellurian. She wondered what weird sex stuff they could do with the thing. The more practical use would be lighting up the dark, but she didn't want to ruin the demon’s moment. “That's amazing! Did the Fae craft it? What kind of magic does it use? Are there more?” Her barrage of questions was spit rapidly, as her hand itched to snatch up the tool.

"Nope, found it in the lost city of Lud. Along with some twisted humans that were probably trying to eat us. That didn't work out for them all that well." Sousiel giggled at Liz's wonder. She handed her the tool. "There was alot of cool stuff there. Carriges that didn't need horses, buildings made of glass and steel that stretched straight into the sky, my favorite was a bed made of leather with water inside."

"As far as I can tell there isn't a drop of magic in any of it. My nose isn't usually wrong, but I'm willing to consider the possibility." She grinned. "You should make Lorelai take you there, I'll bet you and her fare quite a bit better than Triss and I did."

Elizabeth reached into the deepest recesses of her imagination, looking for an image that could match these amazing descriptions given to her by Sousiel. She found none, there was nothing that could match what she had been given. If Sousiel hadn't showed her the light stick, she wouldn't have been able to imagine it either. It was all but impossible to believe that these items didn't have magic flowing through them, but she didn't doubt Sousiel's nose.

“How strange, metal carriages...a bed made with water? How deranged! Who could think of that? Could you imagine how big the waterskin must've been?” Elizabeth mumbled, brain doing circles. A bed that was like laying on a waterskin...there was nothing practical about it. Yet, she found herself wanting one. “Maybe Lorelai and I can take the kids out on a family vacation, she deserves a trip.”

"So do you." Sousiel nodded. "I won't lie, I half expected this place to be in chaos by the time I got back."

She waved a hand, continuing quickly. "Not because you're incompetent of course, but I'm surprised to see how effectively you've commanded respect. Many of these witches don't like you yet, but very few seem unwilling to follow you." Sousiel grinned. "I'm very impressed. I'm not easy to impress either, but I see you managing it all the time. Lorelai's found something special in you."

"Keep the torch thingy, I've got a couple anyway." She giggled. "And I'm gonna have Lenny make me a water bed. You can try it out when it's finished."

“I guess it's in my blood, because my mother does the same.” Elizabeth was shining, pride in all of her features. Her grin was so wide it almost hurt to maintain. “I thought they would revolt, they may just be afraid of Lorelai though. I wouldn't hold it against them, I personally think she's cute when she's angry, others don't hold my opinion.”

She giggled, taking the light stick and stuffing it into a pocket on her trousers. She would show it to Andri later, when he was available. “Lenny may have to mass produce those water beds, they seem like an interesting concept.” Elizabeth hoped the idea worked, it seemed like something everyone would enjoy. Maybe she could find a comfortable position in it, if her baby bump was being troublesome.

"She is adorable when she's pissed isn't she!?" Sousiel laughed. "I mean, sure, head will roll and whatnot, but she's still cute."

"However, speaking of revolt, I should get to sniffing any out shouldn't I?" Sousiel sighed. "I think I'll get to work, and leave you to your morning, unless there's anything else you need?"

Elizabeth's grin loosened, it was about time that they both got to work. “There's nothing I need, no. Thank you though, Sousiel. I'll catch up with you later, maybe we can think of baby names or something equally silly.” She winked, hand running over her flat stomach. Soon it would be filled with a miniature human, and she wouldn't even be able to look at her toes. The thought made her warm, but it also sent a shiver down her spine.

_{in collaboration with @SunsetRoses}



Elizabeth groaned as Bo wrenched the bottle of alcohol from her hands. She hadn't even had the chance to pull the cork. The bottle was passed to Butch, who put it in his hip mouth and ate it whole. Elizabeth watched, pawing towards him lazily. No alcohol for nine months, she didn't know how she was going to survive.

She sighed, leaving them to talk on her bed while she got dressed. Liz threw on her nightgown, and released her hair. It fell down her back in long waves, still damp from her shower that morning. Or maybe it was the sweat from training with Andri. Or the blood...and was that white thing a piece of bone? She picked it out of her hair, throwing it on the ground and kicking it under the vanity.

She laughed, walking towards her bed. Bo offered to read her a story, but she refused. He took up his spot in his armchair, curling his body up into a ball of fur and fabric. His claws dug in to the seat, and she couldn't ignore how cute it looked. Bob laid over her in the bed, chewing on her arm as per usual. Beebop and Butch stood guard outside, probably discussing the day and doing silly dares. Elizabeth smiled, closing her eyes and relaxing.

For a moment it seemed like Elizabeth would drift of into some much deserved sleep. Elina, however, had other plans. She staggered to Lorelai's door with a steel bucket in tow. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her pale complexion had become ghastly. Gone were the traces of the well mannered, proper, poised young noblewoman. Instead she finally looked as crazed as she was.

Beebop and Butch looked at each other briefly before knocking at the door. "Liz, Elina's here."

Liz sighed, and pushed herself into a seated position. "Send her in."

Elina's eyes looked hopeful as she stepped into the room, but a quick scan told her the person she was looking for wasn't here. "Goddamn it Lorelai!"

Her eyes fell on Liz, sitting comfortably in Lorelai's bed. Looking every bit like she was at home here. Her eyes narrowed. "Well look at you, settling in nicely are you?" She paused for a moment to retch into her bucket. "When does Lorelai get back? She's got some things to answer for."

She ran a hand over her stomach, which was protruding oddly, and chuckled bitterly. "Well, actually only one thing."

Elizabeth stared at Elina’s stomach for a few moments, working away the fog that had risen in her mind. She rubbed her eyes, and stared again. She blinked a few more times, before her stomach sank. She felt like she could use a bucket, but the baby had nothing to do with it.

Bob chuckled as Elina retched into a bucket, not caring about the woman's condition. “Look at that, Lizzie. She's even more pregnant than you.” He laughed even louder, the sound of violin strings being plucked irritably. He wanted Liz to get mad, she was always more fun that way. “Lorelai's sure been around, hasn't she? Shame on her.” He added for emphasis.

Elizabeth tapped him on the head, a warning. Lorelai was not the problem, Elina was. The haggard witch had the gall to turn up her nose at Elizabeth, while she stood before her looking like that. “I have no idea when Lorelai is getting home, she'll come to you when she prefers it. I'm getting very comfortable here while she's absent.” Elizabeth added haughtily.

"Oh, fucking great," Elina tittered maddly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "She impregnated you too, go figure."

"She can't just wait for me to come around, she's got to find the nearest whore to bury her stupid cock in." Elina's voice dripped with venom. "She doesn't pay much attention to where she leaves her seed does she?"

"She's not leaving me like this," Elina smiled, almost sweetly, but her eyes still burned with contempt. "I'll use Vespa's name to guilt her, I'll dye my hair so I look just like my dear departed sister."

"Then I'll get to sleep in that bed, and she'll take care of my child." Elina practically growled. "And you can go back to doing whatever it is mortals do. Not like you could ever understand her work anyway."

Elizabeth felt tears spark in her eyes, but she blinked them away. They were replaced with anger, the same rage she felt when she was fighting with Andri. Flames roared in her sapphire eyes, directed towards Elina. Bo and Bob stared at the witch, waiting for their chance to strike at her. “No boys,” She said sweetly, causing them to retract. “I'll handle it.”

She deliberately got out from under her sheets at a slow rate, forcing Elina to wait. She calmly walked over to the witch, a toothy grin on her face. Elina had no idea about her knighthood, and she couldn't wait to rub it into the girl's face. She wanted to teach the woman a lesson. How could she talk that way of her dead sister? She obviously didn't care much for Lorelai if she openly voiced her ideas for manipulating her.

Finally, she stood before the witch. Blue eyes burned into red, Elizabeth looking down at her. The height advantage was pleasing, but when it came to a crazy pregnant witch, she knew they were on equal grounds. Elizabeth raised a finger, pressing it into Elina's stomach. “You'll do no such thing to her. She's suffered enough at the hands of women the likes of you.”

“It appears you know next to nothing about me.” Elizabeth stated quickly, before the witch could respond. “I'm no mortal. I am Lorelai's Knight, I was there for her in the pits when she faced her demons and came out alive. Where were you? Oh yes, that's right, you didn't care. You left her depressed, tossed her aside while you frolicked about.”

"Of course I hesitated! I have a wisdom you've yet to grasp, girl." Elina stepped away from Elizabeth. For all her bravado the young Ruvina didn't like her odds against the physically superior huntress. A tingle of fear ran down her spine as she could help but provoke the woman in spite of that. "Did you really believe all those pretty words she whispers?"

"Do you really think a Dragon feels like we do?" Elina laughed. She'd seed some doubt now, and hopefully reap it later. "She's convincing isn't she? When she says she loves you, when she holds you in her arms and promises forever."

"She's an old monster that's been playing at being human longer than we've been alive," She smirked cruely. "But it's just a game. You're convinient, just like I was, just like my sister was. A distraction, and a little something to mend the sheep's clothing when her fangs tear through, lest we all realize what lives among us."

"She'll throw you aside when she has no further use for you. She'll do it to me too, but I expect it." Elina turned to leave. "If you were wise you'd run, before she uses you all up and leaves nothing left for you to grow old with."

Elizabeth growled at Elina. She had seen Lorelai love. She knew Lorelai loved Abigail and Lotte, and if she was capable of loving them she was capable of loving her. She had never seen Lorelai happier than when she was with her two children, or when she was with her. She knew she was capable of human emotions, she was no monster. Elizabeth knew what a monster was, and she didn't fit. Hell, Sousiel was able to love. That had to count for something.

Or did it? She had seen Lorelai's face when she talked about Vespa, but could it have been a lie? She felt an inkling of doubt in her heart. She clutched her chest, like she could simply tear it away. The doubt became anger, directed towards Elina. If that whore hadn't come here, this wouldn't have happened.

“I don't believe you,” she snarled. Her voice was pitched in a way that spoke differently, if Elina could catch it. “Lorelai loves me. She loved you, too. You got rid of her. You got rid of something special.”

Liz cleared the distance between them, grabbing Elina forcefully in a vice grip. “You had your chance, now she's mine. I have no plans on throwing her away the way you did.”

Elina sensed Elizabeth's doubts, the pitch of her voice, the voracity of her objection. She reached deep for an illusion to drive it home. She turned slowly to face the woman, the whore she aimed to displace. Her features coaxed into a mask of soft saddness, the kind you'd have for a friend about to make a mistake.

She smiled softly, and met Elizabeth's gaze. When she spoke her voice carried a calculated tenderness, and a bittersweet melancholy. "She is special, just not in the way we'd both like, Elizabeth."

She looked away, putting on vulnerable airs. "I'm sorry, I just found out I'm pregnant today, and I've been very unkind. I wounded you when I should have held my anger and fear for the woman responsible." She met Elizabeth's eyes again, false tears in her eyes. "But if you take anything from this other than an understandable hatred for me, remember that she can't love you. She probably wants to, but she just can't, not like either of us would want her to."

Elizabeth’s features remained hard and unreadable, though her mind was working overtime. She went through countless shifts of emotion, she seriously considered every word Elina said. She couldn't see through the guise, she hardly even tried to. What if she was right? What if Lorelai would leave her high and dry? She growled, at bother herself and the woman in her hands. She pushed Elina towards the door, only using half of her strength. “Go.” She roared, not bothering to watch the woman leave.

Elina maintained her demure and defeated demeanor until she was safely in her own room, away from any watchful eyes. There was a pain in her chest, a guilt building there, but she'd done what she had to. Wasn't that what her sister, even Lorelai, had always taught her? Why did it have to feel so wrong then?

"Kings and Queens do what they will, the rest of us do as we must." She'd spoken the phrase many times, it was one of her favorite quotes. Now she knew what it meant, or was starting to. Fairy tales were for children, she'd have to steal her happy ending. Too bad Elizabeth would have to pay the price.

Elizabeth fell down onto the bed. She stared at it, breathing deep and heavy. Bo was prepared, he placed the bucket in front of her and held her hair back as she emptied her stomach into it. Tears fell, burning streaks down her face. She fell on her back against the bed, sobbing. “Triss!” She gasped out when she could finally catch her breath. The witch could dull her emotions, and she could at least let her get some sleep. Her heart was heavy, and she felt uneasy. “Get me Triss right now!”

Bob nuzzled his snout against her cheek, while Bo ran to wake up Triss. “Lizzie, you don't believe that crazy whore, do you? Lorelai loves you...at least I think that's love. I don't know, never felt it before myself.” He laughed, but was only met with more sobs. “Liz stop! I don't know how to deal with things that cry!”

---

Lorelai not being around was actually turning out to not be so bad. Sure, Sousiel missed her mistress, but sleeping next to Triss on a nightly basis was a decadent treat she was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to have. Of course, by 'sleeping' she meant cuddling and reading while Triss slept. Still, the experience was so heartwarmingly human that sometimes she forgot she had claws.

A knock at the door pulled Sousiel from her reading material, a trashy romance novel featuring elves. "That better not be Ettien." She muttered under her breath.

She slipped out of Triss' arms and made her way to the door. She was pleasantly surprised to see Bo standing in the hallway, a look of concern marring his feline features. Her face relaxed. "...Bo right? What is it?"

“Yes, I'm Bo.” Bo said hurriedly, he looked over Sousiel's shoulder and into the room. Though it was dark to any human, he was able to easily see the sleeping form of a redhaired woman in the bed. “Elizabeth needs to see Triss. She had a...rough encounter.” He said with clear distaste. “Might I have her?”

Sousiel was torn between denying her fellow's request, for the sheer joy of having done so, and the desire to aid Elizabeth. For a moment. "Rough encounter? I'll need specifics."

She turned and approached her lover, leaning over to kiss her cheek and whisper, "Triss? Sweety, could I trouble you to put Elizabeth's head back together? I think we'll get some juicy gossip out of the deal."

Triss groaned as she was woken up, but soon found herself smiling. Sousiel stared down at her, and for a second she ignored the request, wrapping her arms around Sousiel's neck and pulling her into a kiss. “Okay, I guess I can help Blondie.” She said after they parted. She pulled out of bed, tugging on her grass skirt. She was getting attached to it, if she was honest with herself.

Bo watched the couple interact, clearing his throat and tapping against the door frame. They had no time for this, Liz was groveling in her bed. “Ladies?” He sighed. “The sooner we leave, the better.”

Triss snapped her head to look at the demonic cat, one of Liz’s companions. He was almost cute, but she didn't like cats too much. She glanced at Sousiel, before following the demonic kitten down the hall.

Sousiel was sure to hold Triss' hand, and be as affectionate as possible without being obscene as they made their way to Elizabeth's room. Mostly because it was fun, but the added effect of making Bo sigh and get impatient made it irresistible.

Once they actually made it to the room, and she saw Liz's sorry state, she immediately regretted any delays. The woman's proud face was marred with tears, a far cry from the confident smile that suited her best. A bucket by the side of the bed held the noxious waste of her retching. She quickly made her way to her friend's side. "What happened, and who needs dead?"

Triss stayed far away from the two women. She hovered near the door. She was a healer, yes, but her overall presence was anything but soothing. She didn't hate Elizabeth, that couldn't be further from the truth. However, she hardly knew the woman. Tears scared her, especially tears that came from a woman who was usually strong and joking.

Elizabeth looked up at Sousiel, giving the demon a pained smile. She hadn't expected her to come. For a moment, she was tempted to tell her friend that Elina needed to die. That was washed away when she realized she wanted to do the deed personally. Instead, she reached up and put her hands around Sousiel, drawing the demon into an embrace. “It's just been a bad day.”

“Liar! It's all because of that whore! I'll trample her, I'll eat the monster lying in her stomach!” Bob roared, stomping and rearing on the bed. He had never witnessed so many tears, he would do anything to make them stop. He would kill Elina himself. He would take her eyes as a trophy!

"No, you'll drag her kicking and screaming to your mistress as a trophy, like a proper servant. Right Bob?" Sousiel chided the demonic steed playfully. She stroked Liz's back calmly, in stark contrast to the frothing rage building in her chest.

She pushed it aside, it wasn't useful to Elizabeth right now, perhaps later she could find a practical outlet. "It's alright Elizabeth, we can talk about it as much as you need later, okay?"

She turned towards Triss, gesturing her over with a nod. "For now though, let's get you a little closer to the Elizabeth we all remember. Triss'll see you relaxed and peaceful, won't you sweetheart?"

Bob stared at Sousiel with his void eyes. He had no muscles, no way to express his emotion, but if he did he would be smirking. “I suppose, but only if I get to keep her eyes. Maybe I could pop them into my skull, the last pair I had rotted.”

Elizabeth breathed a shaky sigh of relief. That was all she needed right now. If she couldn't find contentment in a bottle, she could find it with the help of Triss. “Thank you, Sousiel.” She told her friend with a smile, closing her eyes and waiting for Triss to draw near.

Triss recoiled for a moment, before putting on her best doctor guise. The only practice in the job she had was with Andri, and she was pretty sure Elizabeth didn't want to sleep with her. She walked over to Elizabeth, smiling mainly for Sousiel.
“Well, Liz, how do you want to feel?” Triss asked with a tilted head.

Elizabeth looked up at her, slowly pulling out of Sousiel's arms. “Happy, loved, I don't know. Something good.” She muttered, sniffling and wiping away a tear.

Triss shrugged, she could do happy. She reached out and patted Liz’s shoulder in an attempt to be comforting. Then, with a flash of green light coming from her eyes and enveloping, she was taken into her new favorite plane. Things moved slow here, and everything was a bright emotion. While on the outside she remained a motionless statue -eyes glassy for the few moments it took to complete her task- on the inside, she ruled.

She watched Elizabeth with pursed lips. She emanated doubt and sadness. Triss stepped inside, using her body as a bridge to her head where her emotions resided. Everything in here was orderly, but now doubt ran rampant. It flipped things onto their heads, decimating the strong temple of love that took center stage in Elizabeth's mind. Triss narrowed her eyes, walking towards it with little fear. The emotions of others could not manipulate her, not here at least.

She stepped up to the temple, staring cooly at Lorelai's visage. It flickered once and awhile, moving back and forth from the beautiful woman to a monster. Hideous claws, crooked teeth, smoke puffing out of every orifice. Triss jumped, whoever caused this was good at what they did. Given enough time, Elizabeth's love for her Dragon would fade altogether.

Triss didn't want that, as much as she hated to admit it. She walked around the monster that was Lorelai, finding the other sources of Elizabeth's love. There was one she couldn't name, a baby with no clear features. It was beautiful though, guarded by Elizabeth's arms from all the bad in the world. Triss held out a hand, drawing from this love. She used it as a sort of adhesive, piecing together Lorelai's lovely statue. The flickering no longer occurred, but doubt still beat at it. If Elizabeth didn't fix this herself, it would take over, and there would be nothing Triss could do.

Triss then worked on making Elizabeth happy, an easy task. The woman was masked by doubt, but she was still relatively joyful. Triss drew up a large ball of this joy and planted it at the front of Liz’s mind. With a final once over, she pulled out of Elizabeth's head, and the emotional plane. “You good, Blondie?” She teased, voice pained.

Elizabeth's mind was eased, she felt good. She felt like she could conquer the world, when before she wanted to hide from it. She nodded merrily, falling against the bed with a giggle. “Yes, yes I am.”

Sousiel smiled proudly at Triss. The woman's gift was horrific in scope and potential damage, which was hot, and her restraint and control was awesome. Alluring even. "You make that look easy, love."

She added a few things to her mental list of things to do to Triss during this second wind before returning her attention to Elizabeth. "Now that you're feeling better, what was that about?"

Triss shrugged, but her heart bloomed and she strained to suppress her urge to skip around the room in her state of content. She planted a kiss on Sousiel's forehead, and took a seat on the other side of Elizabeth. She had a small understanding of what had happened, but she craved to know more. She had no insane tendecies in mind, but she could always let lose a bit and harm whoever hurt Elizabeth.

Elizabeth smiled cheerfully up at Sousiel. “Elina's pregnant!” She rang, smiling still. “Now, she wants Lorelai back. I said no, because I have Lorelai. Lorelai's mine and she's is wonderful.” She cooed, lifting her nightgown to rub her belly. “Especially her dick, and her tail.”

Sousiel was quite familiar with Lorelai's dick, but perhaps this wasn't the company to elaborate in. Instead she mulled over the first portion of Elizabeth's whimsical musings. Elina couldn't be pregnant, Lorelai was sterile before her descent. Unless... perhaps the Elina problem would solve itself.

"Sucks to be her, shoulda put a ring on it. My mistress is a special lady after all." Sousiel chuckled. "And you've gotta love the dick and tits combo, best of both worlds, right Triss?" She winked.

"I doubt you have much to worry about as far as Elina's concerned." Sousiel added. "What's the worst she can do? Beg? That would be fun to watch."

Elizabeth brought up a finger, she knew many things Elina could do. She may have been happy about everything, but she was still realistic. “Well, she said she would dye her hair to look like Vespa. That's sickening, really, but I wouldn't put it past her. She's a bitch!” She giggled, fingers dancing over her stomach. “Or use the baby as leverage. That too. We all know how much Lorelai loves family. Nearly as much as I love her tits. The combo can never fail.” She winked at the ceiling.

The thought of Elina emulating Vespa in a misguided attempt to ensnare Lorelai was delightfully depraved. It reeked of a lovely desperation generally reserved for the insane and terminally addicted. Which one was the young Ruvina? If it wasn't her friend and mistress' hearts at stake Sousiel would have been tempted to let it play out just to see.

Unfortunately she may have to. Lorelai's last standing orders reguarding Elina were to ensure that no harm came to the girl. As much as she'd like to nip this particular fiasco in the bud while it was fresh, disobeying her mistress' commands would literally be fatal for her. Worse yet was the fact she couldn't even turn a blind eye whilst someone else did the dirty work.

Hopefully Lorelai would return soon, and clear this up. Elizabeth was vulnerable, and if tonight was any indication Elina had plenty of ammunition to capitalize on the chinks in the woman's armor. "Well, I think it's time for you to get some rest, and dream of those tits you're so enamoured with hmm?"

For now there was nothing to do but watch and wait. She stood, and extended a hand to Triss. Fortunately she had an endless source of joy and amusement to bouy her spirits. "I imagine you're not quite done sleeping either are you, love?"

Elizabeth let out a final giggle, she didn't want to go to bed at all. However, she knew a good night's rest would help her aching mind in the morning. So, with a small smile towards Sousiel and Triss, she crawled into her sheets. Bo and Bob gave the women small nods, showing their gratitude. They both went to help Elizabeth in their own way, Bo reading her a favorite section in his book -this section being a bloody slaughter- and Bob laying over her like a blanket.

Triss stared at Elizabeth for a moment longer, before she squeezed Sousiel's hand and pulled herself off of the bed. She felt bad for Blondie, who could so easily lose the love she felt for her Dragon. What would the girl do? She would be stuck with a baby, and when that baby moved on she would have to watch as Lorelai loved another. It stung, but she was glad she wasn't in that position. She had Sousiel, and Alphonse.

She smiled at Sousiel, and headed for the door. “I think my night can be better spent, don't you?” Triss grinned suggestively, shooting Elizabeth a fleeting glance before running out the door.

_{in collaboration with @Shagranoz and @Meiyuki}



Studying formulae was tough work. Every detail had to be absolutely accurate, or the necromantic energy wouldn't flow where you wanted to. In short, practicing magic was as much about learning how to paint as anything else, and Rebecca's fingers were exhausted. She needed to take a break and relax for a little bit.

The castle seemed unnaturally quiet today. Not surprising, since so many of the witches were out and about on various missions. A huge, hulking giant of a man came into her view. It had to be Andri. He was at least a foot taller than anyone in the castle.

"Greetings, Andri. How are you this fine and wondrous day?"

Andri really would had liked to try out the enchanted properties of this Nightstalker armor he had received as a gift from Lorelai, but there were two major obstacles: The first one was that there was no ounce of magic in him, so he could not access them directly. The second one was that he had indeed come across a large mirror. What he had seen in there had been very much to Khan's amusement and to his own shock: It really was tight, brutally tight. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to put off this thing and safely lock it away in his room, as much as he would have liked to, because he had received a clear assignment.

He felt like a walking provocation, and because of that he deviated from the main routes of the castle as often as possible. Yet he had to notice that Rebecca had spotted him. Khan was making bets on how long it would take the dialogue to hit the topic that Andri felt embarrassed for.

"Hello Rebecca. I've been assigned to the espionage team, so I'm afraid I won't have a lot of time to enjoy the weather. How are things ?"

"Oh, you too? I've always been amazed at how a great big man like you could be so quiet. All the size of an elk mixed with the silence of a mouse. Dangerous combination."

Rebecca tried and failed to work a knot out of her wrists. "Pretty good. Spent the day trying and failing to figure out how to draw some symbols. Still, better than being out doing fieldwork. I'm a bit of a homebody in that respect."

"I have to admit that a lot of people are wondering how I do this. If you ask me, it has to do mainly with control over your body and brainwork. You must be able to predict how the ground you plan to walk on will react to the added weight. I had really good teachers - if I had not sucked so hard at normal combat I would have never met them." The giant chuckled.

"So, you're trying to think about other things before going out there, too ? I appreciate that. Would you like to tell me a bit about your work ? I'm interested - because I know nothing."

"You were terrible in combat? I'm shocked. A guy like you, shouldn't you be able to just overpower anyone you face?"

She sighed. "I've been in the library trying to work out the sigils for a spell to resurrect a whole bunch of corpses at once. The idea is to create individual threads of energy to each zombie from a central point. But the symbols... I can't work out how to get them to not overlap each other. I just don't have the coordination."

"Being one and a half foot taller than the average combatant means that you have a huge lot of additional weight to move around that doesn't add a bit to the amount of strength you have as a reserve to move around a weapon. It only adds to the amount of muscle your body develops just by having to carry itself. On the other hand however you're a much larger target, dodging is more difficult because you occupy so much space. When you're sneaking, the ability to evade attacks is irrelevant, and a garotte is a weapon you don't move around violently. While you're choking somebody you don't have to accelerate anything, not even yourself, so almost all of the strength and weight is exclusively available for damaging your enemy. So far my instructor's theory."

Hmm... zombies. Sounds delicious for you, doesn't it ?
Andri didn't respond to Khan. "The last thing I've fought was something undead. I have to say it was horrible. But... every war is horrible, isn't it ?" The assassin was hoping that Rebecca would give him a confirmation on this thought.

"Yes. It is horrible. Haven't seen an actual battle, though. Just the aftermath, and that was bad enough. My gods, the stench, the screams of wounded... I hoped to never see its like again. That's why I came to Seren's Folly. I'm a necromancer, and an undead one at that, who loves life and hates suffering. Ironic, isn't it?"

A thought hit Rebecca like a thunderbolt. Oh, how she hoped it wouldn't come to pass, but on the eve of battle... "Andri, would you come up to my room, please? There's something I need to show you, in private."

"And now we're here, preparing for just the thing we both have put hopes and effort in avoiding. That's even more ironic." Andri flicked away a small piece of dirt that happened to sit on a small, decorative wall, and followed it with his eyes as if it was an interesting thing. It wasn't. It was just less gruesome than allowing his mind to focus on imaginations of what was to come.

"In private ? Okay..." The last word came a bit delayed and with slightly arched eyebrows. Khan ? Whatever you're thinking about now, and I'm sure I know what you're thinking about: Stop it! Lorelai might not be in her office but I am sure I will find her or be able to call for her if I have to! Calm down... I'm totally fine. You're looking like a head cheese... that will suffice for several days. The demon chuckled while Andri hurried to follow Rebecca.

Rebecca opened her door and sat down on her bed. She slipped her upper body out of her robes, displaying her pallid, decaying skin. As always, the most notable feaure of her chest was the massive, stitched-together wound. Rebecca took her knife, undid the stitches, and peeled back the skin.

A section of ribcage had been cut out, right above where her heart would be. Instead of a heart, she had a crystal embedded in the back of her abdominal cavity, pulsing with a dingy gray light. "This is what I needed to show you."

Seeing this was tough. Seeing this without showing off a totally disgusted grimace was even tougher. The only thing the hunter could do was to try and not do just that. When the crystal appeared, it was more of a relief than anything else: A rotting, beating heart dangling in an artificial cavity looked more displeasant in Andri's imaginations than a piece of anorganic, though obviously magic piece of matter emitting light.

The assassin became curious and bent down a bit to inspect it more closely. "May I ask what this is ?"

"This is my soul crystal. My mind, my soul, everything that makes me... me. Making one is part and parcel of becoming a lich, but it needs to be kept secret and safe. If anything happened to it, well."

Rebecca shook a kink out of her shoulders. "I needed a hiding place for it, and there was one place I knew nobody would ever look. Andri, I want you to swear something to me. Swear that if my body is damaged beyond what the healers can repair, you will take that soul crystal and shatter it."

This explanation was more than a bit beyond what Andri had expected. It took him a noticeable while to realize what the lich was telling him, or more, what Rebecca was asking him.

"How can such a vow be done ?" Of course he knew how to swear something, but he didn't know if the rules or ordinary humans were still applicable among witches. Aside from that, there were questions building up. A lot. "And how to shatter it ? I'm sorry, but I must ask this beforehand. Does it require any special procedure ? If yes, don't tell me. So I won't be able to do it entirely on my own so easy."

"Andri, I am trusting you, quite literally, with my life. You could have attacked me that day we first met in Seren's Folly, when I was desperate for aid. Instead, you listened to me. You helped me save my coven from tearing itself to shreds. Your word is enough for me. And you don't need anything special to do it. Just take a hammer and give it a big whack."

The lich grimaced at the thought of Andri attacking her. Without undead minions to guard her, the little waif would never be able to stop him. "I- I can't stay here as half a body, Andri. And I know I'm going to the pit. Heaven has no place for someone who has profaned nature like I have. So I shall have no afterlife at all. No heaven, and no hell, just the endless darkness. I just want you to understand what I am asking you to do, when and if it should be needed."

"I... see your point." Somehow he felt that this wording was inappropriate, but it was the best he could come up with. Rebecca's face was contorting and he wondered why until she continued speaking. "You know you're going to the pit ? How ? I don't know much about magic, but you didn't create it. It was there as a part of nature since the very first day. So how can nature profane itself ? This doesn't seem fair." Deep inside him however the admission started to spread that nature was, or at least appeared to be unfair, very often.

There was a pause of several seconds during which Andri was just looking at the lich. "I accept the commitment."

"There's a reason necromancy is frowned upon, even among witches. The very idea of bringing the dead back to life disturbs many, and playing with spirits rips apart one's sanity far more often than not. Life becomes death, and death stays itself. To make death become life. That's the profanity and perversion I was talking about."

Rebecca smiled. "You're right. It isn't fair that I was born with the powers that I have, that I am punished for using them. But if it is a choice between using them for good or not using them at all; that's no decision at all for me."

Andri had been about to ask just why she had chosen this type of magic when Rebecca answered the question herself. It made things just look even more unfair. So far, Rebecca had proven not to be a bad witch.

"Isn't there some sort of way around this ? Could you not just ask if someone would be willing to offer his or her body for the greater good voluntarily after he has died ? This might sound strange, but... that's how it is done in the world I come from. Examining dead bodies is considered desecration, but not if the dead agreed to it when he was living."

"That might work. But the battle is coming soon, Andri, and like I said, even here, necromancy is considered especially blasphemous. There might be someone who would agree, but personally, I doubt it." Rebecca reached for a needle to start sewing her chest up again. "Besides, I've seen things both more wonderful and more terrible in my few years on this earth than I ever thought I would. I've lived my life the best I could. If I am to end, I'm content with that."

The giant sighed. He had a glimpse of an idea about what to say, but it was far from potent enough to form a real answer. However, as he saw Rebecca sealing off the crystal again, another thing struck his mind. "Wait a minute... is it possible to temporarily detach the crystal from your physical body ? There's someone in this castle who might help making it less fragile on the battlefield..." He was thinking about Lenny. A small metal box around it, with a thick internal lining consisting of cloth. Perhaps with a lock on it so he could open it in case the time would come for him to have to fulfill his vow - something that hopefully would never occur.

"Yes. It is possible, but I won't be able to manipulate my body well, and I cannot see or hear. If you hold it, though, I can communicate with your mind. Have you ever seen one of those children's shows, with the puppets on strings? It would be something like that." A curious eyebrow raised almost all the way to Rebecca's hairlines. "Why, what are you thinking of?"

"I'm thinking about an arrow, a dagger or a small sword easily being able to penetrate your skin and, if not outright destroying the crystal, chipping it. I don't want you to partially leave this plane. If the blacksmith I've got this armor from is as competent in realizing my idea of small casing for your crystal as he was in realizing this piece of Nightstalker hide, you won't have to be deprived of your senses for long until you have at least some additional protection for it."

"So, like a suit of armor or something? An excellent idea! It will need an opening in the back so the crystal can still be fixed to my flesh for proper control, but I've still got my ribs back there." The little lich wore an ear to ear grin. "Is there anything I can do to repay you, Andri?"

"I have not done much, but..." He started thinking, a process which was quite obvious. "Perhaps there's something that you can inject into my mouth that will get me repaired after I've emptied the castle's liquor supply again. I have a bad habit... I think we can sell the short delay we will have to make for visiting Lenny and adding this thing to his to-do-list towards Liz as improving combat efficiency or the like."

Rebecca giggled. "Yes, I've seen you drink. It's... awe-inspiring. I think I have a recipe for an anti-hangover potion somewhere. It just needs to simmer for a couple hours, so don't go on a spree today. Tomorrow's fine, though."

With that, Rebecca lifted herself off the bed. "Shall we?"

"We both have to head out soon. I can't allow myself to get intoxicated today, or basically any of the days to come - yet my desire for doing so appears to be greater than ever, given the situation we're in..."

The assassin was rising to his full height again which got him dangerously close to the ceiling. "Yep, let's go. I think I can remember the way..."

"I haven't been down here yet. I take it this where Medusa keeps the thralls and undesirables?" A little shiver slipped through Rebecca's arms. The darkness and damp were uncomfortable. "Who is this guy? Some dwarf Medusa managed to coerce into working for her?"

From a certain point onwards, it really wasn't hard to get a hunch on where to go now in order to locate Lenny. Did he ever stop his metalworking ? When Rebecca suspected him being some sort of dwarf, Andri had to chuckle. "No... put the dwarf in the denominator and do the math, then you know what he is. Lenny is the far opposite of a dwarf, but see yourself." With these words, he pulled open the gate to his workspace.

"Lenny ?" he shouted, trying to drown out Lenny's hammer. "Rebecca and I have a small request for you."

"No, he's definitely not a dwarf." Rebecca craned her neck upwards to see Lenny's face. "So, you're Lenny. I'm Rebecca. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Lenny turned toward the comparatively demure pair. "So Lenny's me'name huh? Lorelai tore it from me when she enslaved me, 'tis a fine name I suppose." The room shook with his chuckles. "Well met Rebecca, and good ta see ya again Andri."

"I ain't seen a lich in ages... or was that ever." The giant was lost in thought for a moment, before shaking his head. "No matter, this can't be anythin' but interestin' right? What can I do for ya?"

"You've already hit the nail, Lenny." Andri replied. "I had the idea of a small casing for protecting her phylactery. It would have to be... attachable... to..." He looked at Rebecca, his eyes telling her that he needed assistance with the details of the specification.

"It needs to stick to the back of my ribs, and have an opening in the back so the crystal can properly interact with the flesh." Rebecca shuffled forward and opened her chest. "I've got it in here. You can see the spot it has to fit in, so that should give you an idea of the dimensions."

"Oi, I can do that for ya. 'Course, I dunno why you don't get yerself a golem body. Provided your phylactery is detachable." Lenny mused as he stooped to examine the strange crystal. It was tiny, especially to his immense sensibilities. Little more than a human thumb of a white crystal, opal-esque in hue, with a queer, gray radiance. "Looks like ya got plenty o' space in there. I should be able to work somethin up. Unless you'd like me to forge ya a new body, of flame and steel. Might be more reliable that the fragile human vessel."

"Fragile it may be, but I've grown attached to it over the years." Rebecca laid down on a table, allowing Lenny easy access to her chest. "Now, don't get any ideas, Khan." She took the crystal out of her body, and her eyes glazed over as her flesh went still.

What ideas should I have ? Sex with Rebecca in front of Lenny ? I'd never do that...
No khan. I would never do that. You would, but you can't! Andri responded, putting some delight into the "can't". He stood a few steps away from her and watched the scene with a lot of interest. "It needs some soft material in it too in order to dampen any shocks." he added, not being sure if Lenny already was aware of that. He probably was.

"Oi," The giant nodded. "And light enough not ta cause to much loss in mobility too. A job fer mithril me'thinks."

He plucked the crystal from Rebecca's still hand gingerly. "I've got this handled, Andri." He smiled at the man. "Why don't ya find somethin' to do while I work? Should be done in a day or so."

"I've visiting Triss on my schedule. And then... going to work." There was significantly less enthusiasm in his latter few words. Before leaving, he turned towards Rebecca. "I hope the thing will make you happy. Don't forget that anti-intoxication potion." he grinned, not meaning it seriously.

_{in collaboration with @Wildeyes}



Alphonse sighed contentedly, his body was light with the satisfied ache of physical exertion. He'd kissed Triss good bye, as she left for her meeting with Sousiel. He left his implements where they were in his room, double checked the interior of Steve for the supplies he needed and proceeded to Lorelai's room, sure to take in his surroundings before revealing himelf, as was his habit.

Lorelai offered the man a small smile as she continued getting dressed. "You're lucky I have no modesty left, otherwise I might... I dunno, slap you?" She laughed. "That is still the tradition right?"

"Did you make good use of your scant free time?"

Alphonse emerged, grin firmly in place. "I might have found a new hobby. I definitely have some extra motivation to come back than I did before." Alphonse chuckled before fading into silence. "So, when do the blasphemies begin?"

"A new hobby hmm? You do seem to be smiling more nowadays Alphonse." Lorelai finished the last clasp on her robe. "Blasphemies can wait for a little bit. I'd rather hear the good news." She winked at the man. "Out with it."

"I suppose it shouldn't be a secret, eh? Alright, well, Triss and I are lovers now. As well as her and Sousiel? We need to talk about it more. What's important is, the girl's a freak in bed!" Alphonse had the happiest smile imaginable.

"You and Triss huh?" Lorelai's brow furrowed. It was bad enough that Sousiel had found herself vulnerable to the mad witch's moods and whimsy, but confirmation that Alphonse was similarly ensnared was... less than welcome. "And her and Sousiel."

She flashed her most reassuring smile. "Excuse my concern, but won't that get complicated? Is Sousiel aware of you and Triss' entanglement?" She patted the man's shoulder. "I don't mean to dissuade you obviously, love looks good on you Alphonse."

"Thanks, Lore. I haven't had the chance to talk to Sousiel about it yet, Triss just told me this morning. It could be rough, but Triss has made it clear that she wants to be with me, and I don't want to hurt Sousiel so....like I said, we need to talk about it, but we haven't the time right now. So let's get on with damning ourselves, the sooner we go, the sooner we can get back and giggle about our relationships."

"I'm afraid you signed onto the wrong expedition if you expect this to be short my friend." Lorelai turned and planted a small kiss on the cheeks of each of her girls. "Come with me."

She lead them further up her tower to her summoning chamber. It was a plain stone room stained black. The center of the floor bore a silvered pentagram she often utilized for the 'bargaining' process for perspective servants. The far wall contained the object of their interest however.

Glowing with a dim red radiance, the runes of the portal seemed almost alive. They swam as they pulsed, evading any attempt at deciphering them. Lorelai turned to Alphonse and grabbed his remaining flesh and blood hand. Her ritual dagger opened the palm gently, and she pressed some of the blood that welled from the fresh wound against the center of the diagram, which pulsed in recognition.

"Be sure you have everything you need," Lorelai smiled grimmly. "We won't be back for awhile."

Alphonse nodded grimly. "I've got it all, baby. Lets do this."

"Let it never be said I never take you anywhere nice." Lorelai winked as she turned to the wall.

The runes began to twist as Lorelai pressed her will against the thin border. They bled across the wall, almost in an attempt to hold something back. The room's dim lighting faltered, eventually leaving them in darkess but for the flickering red sigils. With a horrific crack fault-lines began to appear in the runes, starting at the floor they crawled up the wall towards the portal's top.

With a final thrust Lorelai shattered the remaining resistance. The wall was swallowed by the hungry abyss, the shards falling into a howling maelstrom of inky-black darkness. Winds whipped about the pair as Lorelai turned to her companion. "Ladies first." With a grin she strode forward to be swallowed up by the churning gateway.

"Actually, I think I forgot my...never mind." Alphonse let his quip die as he realized that Lorelai wasn't listening. "Hello Darkness, my old friend." He leapt into the maw.

---

A good first stop for any abyssal expedition was the famed city of Alinshyrra. Amongst its glowing purple architecture, and its savage denizens, could be found nearly anything. Rare reagents, exotic pleasures, ancient forbidden knowledge, and the location of fallen Demon Lords were in relative abundance in the planar metropolis.

The pair found themselves on a busy sidewalk, directly in the path of a pair of balor's on their way to whatever buisness had them occupied this evening. Lorelai staggered as one of them clipped her shoulder, "Watch where you're going!" it spat as it continued past them.

She rewarded the insult by snapping the demon's neck with her tail, which vanished into black smoke as quickly as it appeared. "Fuck you." The balor's companion heaved a sigh as he looked down at his friend's corpse. Shrugging he continued as if nothing happened.

After the small incident Lorelai turned to Alphonse smiling. "Welcome to Alinshyrra, it's a lovely city. Brothels aplenty, dancehalls, bloodsport, music, all that good stuff."

"You would bring me here immediately after I entered a relationship." Alphonse replied dryly. He looked about, and found signs of everything things she had described and more. He could literally smell the promises of unearthly delights. He quickly buried himself in business. "So we're here to pick up something for mr. plague?"

"We're here to ressurrect Mr. Plague." Lorelai corrected, laughing. She linked an arm through Alphonse's so they wouldn't be seperated. "That will require a great many things, most of which I know just where to find."

She guided them to a street corner and stuck an arm out to hail one of the many carriages transporting tourists and nobles alike. "But first I say we get you familiarized with the city. It'll take a few days to get the meetings I need arranged anyway." A carriage pulled to the curb, its door opening as the squatting demon holding the reigned tipped its hat.

Alphonse stepped into the carriage. "Alright, road trip. First and most importantly, who's in charge, who has the money, and who do they fear?" Alphonse regarded the demon driver. "You're not working for one of those three are you?"

"... currently yes, considering I'm driving a Dragon around, but mostly no." He responded fearfully.

Lorelai rolled her eyes as she stepped up behind Alphonse. "The Succubus Queen Deskari is the ruler of the city." She settled into her seat, smoothing out her dress. "She rarely leaves her palace, prefering instead to have her pleasures come to her."

"The real power in the city is the combined demonic interests. Demon Lords use the city as a neutral ground to trade goods and services, as well as keep their pampered pets from the poisonous enviroments of their courts." Lorelai laughed. "One of our first targets will be Dagon's daughter, she maintains one of the finest fleets in the abyss, and we'll need it to get where we're going."

"And that's why I'm going to need you to seduce her." Lorelai grinned at Alphonse. "She's a debauched noble who loves to throw little events. You'll need an invite. I already have one, so that won't be a problem."

Burying himself in his work suddenly didn't seem like a good option to distract himself from his desires. Well, so long as it was for a worthy cause.... "So, two questions in order of importance. Is Dagon's daughter hot? And what's her name? Also, how am I leveraging this honey pot to get her boats? I guess that part's important too."

"She's comely enough, a siren I believe." Lorelai replied laughing. "Her name is Hezebel."

"As for getting her boats. Once we've infiltrated her little event, you'll take her off somewhere safe," Lorelai grinned cruely "And I'll make a mess, once she stands accountable for so many noble's deaths under her protection she'll be looking to run. I can ensure her timely escape for the low price of her fleet."

Alphonse lay back and forced himself to relax. "Lorelai, you're taking me a bit out of my comfort zone, making people safe. Not being directly responsible for dozens of deaths. I'm starting to think this is a night mare." Alphonse thought about the new applications he had turned his torture training toward. "Strangely enough, I think I'm more prepared for this than I was this morning. Let's do this."

---

Alphonse found Hezebel at one of her usual haunts, a bloodsport arena on the southern end of the massive city. She was escorting her date out of the stone arena's stands. He was a pale Fae lad, who seemed all the paler for the entertainment he'd just consumed. Small splatters could be seen against her white dress, and over the poor boy's face.

She turned her head away from her suitor in obvious dissapointment.

She turned back when she heard a sudden wet, gurgling sound, and a thud like sandbags striking concrete. She saw that her date had been replaced by a smiling, dashing man who was cleaning his dagger on a black cloth, stepping over the corpse of what had been her date. The man looked satisfied. He brazenly gave Hezebel a full once over before he smirked and winked at her, before beginning to start on his way.

"Wait," she said, her voice sultry and enchanting with only a word. "Are you really going to leave a lady without an escort?"

Alphonse could feel the subtle intrusion of her voice in his mind. It wasn't strong for now, but it occured to him that he might want to play too hard to get with this creature. He decided to roll with it for now. Or maybe that was her voice in his ear already. "Of course not," he said, channeling every cocksure bone in his body. "Where can I take you, my lovely lady?"

Hezebel eyed alphonse out the side of her vision as she laced her hand through his offered arm. She was going to turn in early, maybe try to leave the fae man in a sink pit, or a glory hole known to service thorn demons. This man made her curious though, perhaps she'd get some real entertainment tonight.

"This way." she said, subtly guiding them down the street.
"So, what brings a human to Alinshyrra? We don't see many of your kind around here." One of her hands crept up his fore arm to grasp his bicep. "They don't have much of a reputation for boldness. What drives a man to kill another in the street?"

Alphonse regarded the woman from the edge of one eye, allowing the other to stay aware of his surroundings.
"I have personal business here in the city. I noticed some larger demons eyeing your date's back side. I really didn't want to see that on the street, so I figured I'd do the bloke a favor."

"All right stranger, where are you from?" Hezebel asked, her sultry tone more of a command."

"Seren's Folly, just a small series of farms. I serve as an assassin for a few of the Covens there. Not much to talk about other than Hunters and Werewolves." Alphonse said, hoping that she wouldn't be too familiar with the area, and that his description would curb her curiosity.
They continued to walk in the night, Hezebel not so subtly grasping Alphonse's bicep. She managed to drag a few stories of his work, men he had killed. People he had watched die. Alphonse kept the trusty swaggering mask on his face, and Hezebel continued to squeeze his arm, evidently enraptured by the material world. Eventually, they came to their destination, a tall building with huge clear glass windows. Alphonse could see various creatures through the windows, most of them roughly humanoid, and pleasing to the eye. Of the pleasing humanoid figures, most were in chains, and many of those were currently joined in some sort of unholy union with the less comely creatures. Alphonse's gut churned with a combination of disgust and arousal. He stopped in front of the building.

"Well, you've been escorted, my lady." He said dropping her hands from his arm.

"You won't come inside with me?" She commanded.

Alphonse internally reeled from the dark temptation of her voice. The promises of pleasure that it provided, the two of them in one of those wide windowed rooms, where any one on the city streets could see.....

"Maybe another time." He said, forcefully. "Like I said, I have personal business to see to."

Hezebel narrowed her eyes at him. She stared for a long moment before she strode toward him, and pulled out an envelope from her purse. She presented it to him.

"Come here then," she said. "in two days I'll be having a Gala I would love to see you there." Her sultry tones reverberated in Alphonse's mind.

"Sure. If I've got the time." Alphonse replied coolly. Doing his best not to turn into a slavering idiot from the sound of that sweet, sexy voice. He pulled away, and stepped into the alley, making sure to meld into the shadows while he was still in her line of sight.

---

"Mistress! You can't ask us to suck out half a party's worth of souls, and not put out." Alphonse heard quite the debate coming from the other side of the hotel room door when he returned. "Come oooon... just a little?"

Alphonse pushed the door open to reveal a set of triplet succubi, all in various states of undress, with their hands on their hips pouting at Lorelai, who was sitting on the bed, trying very hard not to give into their demands.

The succubi turned to Alphonse in unison. "Isn't that right? She should put out. Or at least get Sousiel here to do it for her, maybe Elizabeth." They asked in unison, waiting for an answer.

Alhponse's already sexually frustrated body responded immediately to the sight of the three inhumanly beautiful women. Even more so when they posed their query. He turned his gaze to Lorelai. "Mistress Von'Strauss," he said evenly. "Is there a reason that you can't satisfy these ladies yourself?"

"Yeah! Mistress Von'Strauss, listen to your lacky and get naked, now." They cheerfully turned back towards their mistress.

'Because I'm in a relationship with Elizabeth, asshole.' Her eyes screamed as she looked at Alphonse. She realized she was putting him in a similar situation though. A good captain expects nothing of her troops that she doesn't of herself. "Alphonse, darling, you can be an asshole sometimes, how'd your date go?" She glared daggers at her companion as the succubi began advancing on her slowly.

"It was great." Alphonse said, his desires not being helped at all by being prompted to think about the sultry siren. Remembering he was most likely going to have to lay with the Siren for the sake of the mission in a few days.... "Look, ladies. Sousiel and Elizabeth are indisposed at the moment, but Lore does have one more retainer that could fill in for her." Alphonse's eyes darted downward, drawing the three identical women's attention toward the painfully engorged bulge in his pants. See that he had them captivated, Alphonse gestured for them to follow him to his own room. "You owe me" he mouthed to her, before he half fell into his room, as the demons tackled him through the portal.

"Thanks." Lorelai mouthed back. Then again, sometimes Alphonse could be a sweetheart. She relaxed into her bed, two days left before the fireworks started.

---

The next two nights saw the clerical side of their buisness done. Lorelai and Alphonse scoured the city in search of rare reagents and valuable information, bodies dropping in the latter's wake when the former's reputation failed to sway savvy buisness-demons. All the while the Choir, the triplet demons, followed in their footsteps, protesting their mistress' icy demeanor.

Finally the night of the Gala arrived. The murderous had readied themselves in their hotel, discussing the finer details of Lorelai's plan.

Lorelai was to arrive first, to draw no suspicoun that they'd arrived together. She exited her carriage slowly, allowing the Choir to ease her like royalty from its confines. Much to her horror she was dress far more revealingly than she'd anticipated, but from the gathering attendees that was par for the course at least. She waved demurely at friends and contacts as she made her way into the gala with the Choir in tow.

Sure enough, given Hezebel's disposition, the 'entertainment' on display at the event was sensual. Sex acts between creatures of varying beauty and savagery to be precise. Couples and groups 'performed' on lit pedistals throughout the darkened hall. Atendees roamed from display to display, commenting on the performances as if it were high art.

'To be fair it is, but still. I'm too old for this.' Lorelai sighed internally as she found an out of the way couch. Sitting, she ensured that her girls flanked her effectively. She wasn't here to mingle, and wanted to ensure everyone knew that.

Alphonse, on the other hand, was meant to mingle indeed. A part of him found the situation entertaining, He spent so much time avoiding attention, and now here he was, trying to draw attention. He was drinking wine, appreciating the art on display. He joined the round of soft polite applause whent he actors reached their next climax, trying to copy the other demon's disinterested expressions even as he noted the increasing discomfort in his pants. This stuff was sickening, yet....

Alphonse noticed Hezebel mingling with a few of her guests at the next exhibit. Alphonse made certain to begin chatting with a particularly buxom blond succubus within her line of sight. It didn't take long for Hezebel to notice Alphonse, and for her territorial nature to assert itself.

Alphonse was actually grateful when Hezebel interjected herself into the conversation.

"And this one, I had with a man while I was possessing a cow, pretty sure he started the whole minotaur ra-" the blond bimbo was gracefully interrupted when Hezebel's imperious voice cut through.

"So there's my mysterious stranger." she said. Her raven black hair was up in an elaborate bun, her dress a navy blue material that framed and hugged her breats, narrowing along her torso, revealing the toned lines of her flat stomache, before widening again to encoompasse her round, flared hips. The dress had no back, leaving her back and shoulders on full display. Her gaze turned from Alphonse to the succubus. The other woman wilted under her imperious gaze, and realized that she had better places to be.

"Hey, I was looking at that." Alphonse said dispassionately.

"I didn't invite you here to chat with common breeders." She replied, her eyes a smoldering combination of desire and aggression.

Alphonse regarded her carefully, before offering her his hand. "Care to dance then?"

Hezebel's aggresive stare broke into a positively wicked sneer. "I'd be delighted."

The two moved to the dance floor. They stepped to a haunting melody, punctuated occasionally by the beastial grunts and orgasmic cries of the night's entertainment. Hezebel seemed to take great delight in pulling her body close to his, teasing his body with her sensual curves. Alhponse for his part, seemed to be able to afflict her with at least as much frustration due to the casual and cavalier approach he took to touching her in kind, the two of them making an obscene display on the dance floor that would have gotten them thrown out in any place on earth.

'This is why I quit coming to these things.' Lorelai sighed to herself.

She stood and made her way over to the dancing 'couple'. Her hand were folded in front of her in the perfect picture of aristocracy, and the brisk clicking of her heels against the marble floors parted the crowd in front of her.

"Excuse me, Hezebel," Lorelai flashed the woman a chilling smile. "Would you mind if I borrowed your partner for a bit, This is my favorite song after all."

The demon opened her mouth to protest, before closing it as Lorelai repeated her request in the Dragon's Tongue. There were some people you simply didn't say no to in hell without backup, and Hezebel wasn't ready to turn her party into a fight over a dance. She nodded, and stepped away from Alphonse, a small pount curving her lips.

Lorelai stepped up to Alphonse, and grinned. They glid across the dancefloor, and away from prying ears. She made a show of placing her head on his shoulder, and whispered. "Fucking her on the dancefloor wasn't in the plan Alphonse, how much longer can you hold out?"

"Don't worry about it, I've got her eating out of the palm of my hand." Alphonse responded
"Trust me, it's much better to keep her dancing than talking. I can probably keep her interested for another hour before she just decides to sing me into a stupor. I'll make sure to take her to the arranged location before then. Now grab my ass before you give me back to our hostess. Gotta keep up appearances."

"So long as you're sure. I'll give her something to keep her interested then, make your job a little easier." Lorelai winked, and leaned in to bite his neck before spinning him away, slapping his ass as she turned back towards her seat. The more people, or demons, that wanted something, the more valuable that thing became. "All yours Hezebel, maybe I'll be back for him later."

Hezebel accepted Alphonse back from Lorelai, making sure squeeze his butt even tighter than she had. The two resumed dancing, though Hezebel now shot angry glances towards the Dragon when she knew she wasn't looking. Alhponse was quite used to being objectified by women from his time in the blood rose coven. It was just another part of the job. Also pretty hot. Still, it was better than trying to fight off the woman's entrancing voice. He was glad that the music had turned livelier, and his partner remained short of breath for the next several songs.

Lorelai's heart sank as she saw the one thing she'd hoped not to. Queen Deskari's entrance was heralded by several of her daughters clearing the crowd, next was a bolt of tension through the room as the Queen's unearthly beauty sent shivers up the crowd's collective spines, and next were her eyes on Lorelai's.

An amused smirk curved Deskari's full lips as she glid across the floor towards her. Her heart raced against her will as she took the seat next to her, displacing a pouting member of the Choir. "Lorelai... it's been ages, you never do call on me when your in my city anymore."

She had precisely one hour to get rid of the Queen, they'd planned their delay around this eventuality. Some noble's deaths you could get away with, but a Monarch, not likely. "I remember how long satisfying you takes, and I never seem to have the time." She evaded.

"Lorelai, there is such a thing as a quickie, or haven't you heard?" Deskari laughed throatily, her voice bouncing around Lorelai's head sweetly. "But I do understand that you've been busy, learning to breathe fire and whatnot. That's only served to exacerbate my interest."

Unfortunately Lorelai'd never come up with a plan on how to actually get rid of the woman. "And is your interest simply lecherous in design, Deskari?" Lorelai said coyly. "There are many succubi who's beauty far exceeds my own that would love to by objectified by your lasivious gaze."

"Bedding a Dragon is reward enough for my efforts I'd think." The Queen laughed again, much to Lorelai's dismay, and placed a hand on the Dragon's thigh. "Surely you've tired of the mortal world by now? With its morals and human filth scrambling around in the dark, truth so close yet so far out of reach."

"It has its charms still, and the weather's to die for." Lorelai mused, deflecting again. "Why? I'm not about to work for you, or anything similar, I'm a bit more ambitious than that, dear."

"Queens need consorts, and beauty is a plentiful commodity down here." Deskari's voice dripped with honey as she warmed up her offer. "My back still remembers your dagger, from all those years ago. Savagery, and cunning, those are things I value above all else, Lorelai. You're a Dragon now, who better as a partner? And when you kill me, you'll inherit the entire city."

"No more hunters, no more rival witches, just you and me." She cooed in Lorelai's ear. "Tell me that doesn't sound lovely."

It did. It really did. From the Queen's thinnly veiled promises of sensual delights to her blatant offer of rulership, Lorelai was sorely tempted. She looked around the room, at all the luxury and decadence. It could be hers.

Then her eyes fell on Alphonse, still fending off Hezebel's more insistent advances. The reason she'd left in the first place was to find something better than accumulating power. She'd found family, siblinghood, and more opportunities for love than she likely deserved. She had Elizabeth, Lotte, Abby, and Alphonse, treasures finer than any Deskari could offer.

She turned to the Queen with glazed eyes. "Let me wrap up a few things here, and think about your offer." She placed a calculating hand on the woman's thigh, her fingers gripping in a fascimilie of affection. "You'll hear from me tomorrow morning, probably in person."

"As you wish, Lorelai." Deskari's face curved into a triumphant smirk. She placed a small kiss on the Dragon's cheek as she stood. "Do have fun now, make some friends." With that she turned and left.

A few minutes passed as Lorelai regained control of her body. When her heart rated had returned to a semblance of normalcy she nudged the Choir. "Time to go to work darlings."

Alphonse had his arms around one of the most delightful of creatures. The music had shifted some time ago, prompting the two into slower, less lascivious dances. Though the closeness afforded greater intimacy, and for the Siren to begin leveraging her narcotic voice. Alphonse found himself infrequently forgetting that he was here to stab this witch in the back. Her invitations to her villa in the black forest was the most alluring thing he had ever heard. What would it hurt for him to go with her now? Lorelai would handle her mission just fine without him. He was supposed to go with this woman anyway, what would id matter if he left a bit early?

"Master!" An inhuman voice suddenly pierced his skull. "The signal is sprung, it is time for the next phase of the plan." The shade had noticed Lorelai's succubus stumble quite badly into one of the displays. The beast that had been wildly rutting was only too happy to have an extra toy. The unexpected addition to the spectacle attracted a massive crowd. Now was the time.

Alphonse's mind lurched suddenly as he remembered fully his situation. He pulled the woman he'd been dancing with in close and delivered his own honeyed promises into her ears. Alphonse fought hard against the allure of her throaty chuckle as she lead him away from the dance floor, the pair unnoticed by the distracted crowd.

She lead him up the stairs to a lavish chamber. Smooth, cobble stone floors gave way to a gushing hot spring. Perfumed scents permeated the room. A massive silver statue fountain of none other than Hezebel stood in the center, rather than erupting as a spray, the water flowed from the figure's mouth down her front, the gentle flow of water accentuating the woman's curves, which were rendered in full detail. Alphonse saw just how well her figure had been renditioned, as she sashayed towards the pool, her dress dropping to the floor behind her as the walked.

"Come stranger, join me for a bath." Her voice echoed off the smooth walls of the bath chamber, as she turned to him, giving him his full view of her sinfully curvaceous body framed by the massive fountain behind her.

"Of course, my dear." Alphonse intoned, not entirely sure if his worshipful tone was practiced or genuine. He'd have to find a way to keep her quiet while they were here.

The Choir slipped outside quietly, locking the doors behind them. Lorelai's eyes follow Alphonse and Hezebel out of the room. She should worry about the man less, he seemed to be handling himself nicely. She drew herself to her feet and made her way to the center of the room.

A snap of her fingers called her bound servitors to her. Several hulking demons sprung from wells of black darkness on the floor. The crowd applauded at first, titilated at the thought of such immense beasts and their surely immense manhoods splitting the other performers in a savage display. Applause soon turned to screams of horror as the first of the behemoths stode forward to rip a visiting Fae noble in half.

They scattered in an attempt to flee as the bloodbath ensued, hulking serivitors pulling men and women apart with sadistic glee. Others thought to slay the summoner in an attempt to send the horrors back. Each attempt was met with Dragonfire, reducing would be heroes to charred corpses hissing with boiling fat.

Lorelai shivered as their screams filled the night air. There was a part of her that enjoyed this, and always would.

---

_{One bloody slaughter later.}

Hezebel and Alphonse returned from the private bath they had shared, feeling clean and relaxed, smelling of lavendar. Hezebel rejoined the party first, wanting to reconvene with her other guests now that she had enjoyed her conquest. She stopped dead as she was struck by the vision before her.

The mail hall was painted in blood. It had been before, but now it was painted in an additional coat consisting of her most esteemed guests. Her heart sank. If people found out about this....she began to run, calling for any retainers to survive the slaughter.

Alphonse, for his part had taken the opportunity to return to the shadows. He'd watch and wait, prepared to assist his mistress when needed.

"Quite the sight isn't it?" Lorelai chuckled as she stepped into view from around a marble column. "I tired of your little display, so I elected to put on my own."

She gestured to the room, smirking cruely. "I think it's much improved, but I could understand if you'd disagree." She winked at the heiress. "I know Deskari will. She'll throw quite the fit don't you think, but she's cute when she's killing people, so I don't mind."

Hezebel regarded Lorelai evenly. Seeing that she was surrounded, she restorted to the best weapon at hand. "No, you will pay for this!" She nearly shouted, her voice resonating with dominance and authority. "Kneel before me and beg forgiveness for this affront to the line of Dagon!"

Hezebel's voice washed over Lorelai. Her first instinct was to obey, the siren's magic was potent after all, but you don't bind demons for a career to fall at your feet before one. Her mouth opened, and Dragon's Tongue poured from her throat in a thousand-throated howl of dominance.

"Your father knows better, and you'd better learn it soon." Her eyes were angry as she slowly drew closer to the demoness. "Unless you want to end up a nameless fuckdoll for my menagerie, like so many before you."

Hezebel stood proud in the face of the Dragon's roar. For just a moment, then she cast her eyes down, and kneeled. Perhaps she could still survive this night

"I can see that you have me cornered and over powered, lady dragon." She said, her beautiful voice was even sweeter to Lorelai's ears now that it was seasoned with submission. "If not as a mindless fuck slave then, how can I serve you, mistress?"

"You can start by giving me your fleet." The darker corners of Lorelai's mind, freshly awakened by the earlier slaughter, wanted nothing more than to ravage the vulnerable heiress until she was unrecognizable. She suppressed the impulse with a shudder. "Then we can talk about how you survive this. Chin up demon, a minor setback at best."

Hezebel accepted Lorelai's invitation to raise her eyes to her new mistress's, remaining kneeling and docile. "Of course mistress, ships are of no object to me." She said, internally damning the bitch for taking her pleasure barges. "Tell me what I have to do. I'm utterly in your power."

"Pack what you'll need for a long voyage, I'll need someone to tend to my things for the duration of my expedition." Lorelai grinned malevolently. "If you please me, I'll take you to the material world, safe and away from the legion of enemies I just made you."

Hezebel rose, and backed away from her new mistress. She walked herself to her chamber
and began the humiliating task of packing her own clothes. The villa' halls echoed with her foot steps, utterly silent. Her future was dark and uncertain, but it would be close to a dragon. Perhaps this was an opportunity.

Alphonse watched the events unfold from the shadows. When Hezebel tried to assert her own dominance, Alphonse nearly felt himself coalesce to stand by her.....when Lorelai responded, he saw that he would not be needed. He returned to his room in the hotel, he stripped, and began drawing a hot bath. Even though he was free of grime already, he had not felt this dirty in a long time.

---

The next day saw them on the docks. Demonic servitors packed supplies and equipment onto Lorelai's fleet in subservient silence. Her soldiers were already aboard and seeing to their arms and armor. The Dragon grinned at the sight, the beauty of efficiency was of often overlooked thing. Also the beauty of a plot well hatched.

She turned to her silent companion. Alphonse bore the same demeanor he always did, but familiarity bred insight, and she could see a small gloom concealed in the man's features. Infedelity weighed on him, evidently, and she couldn't exactly blame him.

"Alphonse, dear, are you alright?" They were a ways off from the working demons, now was one of the few opportunities they'd get for privacy for some time. She laid a hand on the man's shoulder, smiling softly. "I can see trouble marring your handsome visage."

Alphonse dragged his mind out from his silent brooding. His first instinct was to deny it, that he was just doing his job, like always. It wasn't a probelm. Get off my back. Eh, he had to unload his damage eventually. May as well do it in hell where he could publicly murder anyone who laughed about it.

"Well....you know, remember how I have that girl back home. Triss?" Alphonse asked rhetorically. "Well, she's made it pretty clear that she doesn't like the idea of me sleeping with other women, and now I've done that. Again, so I'm nott feeling great about that."

"Triss? Not thrilled with your dalliances?" Lorelai covered a small chuckle with her hand. "Dear, she's probably half full of Sousiel right now, as you say."

"I understand what you're feeling, but she can hardly expect strict monogomy if she's not willing to play by the same rules." She set a hand on Alphonse's shoulder. "And you could always just not tell her. I'll probably get molested by the Choir at some point, it's a tresspass of body, not heart."

"That does seem fair." Alphonse said, mentally relaxing his momentary preparations to murder his mistress for her brief chortle. The next part was harder. "The big problem is Hezebel....she might have gotten her hooks in me. I'm not sure how bad, but I haven't been able to get her out of my head....haunting my dreams. The feeling is intoxicating, I don't even know wether I should blame her voice....or something else."

"That's concerning." Lorelai frowned at Alphonse. "I can clear you of any influence she may have over you, but if she's snatched your heart..."

She shrugged. "I can kill her if you want, might be simpler."

He seriously considered it. If he couldn't trust his own mind and heart, he would be a terrible liability in the future. Still, she could be useful to Lorelai. In the end he admired the woman too much to see her enter the dark earth now. They had managed to beat her readily enough, but her power and presence were intriguing to Alphonse. He had to wonder what would happen when she lacked the influence and privilege of her father....

"Let her live, you've already promised her safety, and I don't want you to sacrifice a potential asset for my sake." He finally said. "I'll keep my distance from her, if I have to. I'll be fine."

"If you're sure, the offer stands though. You're a more valuable asset than she, and a dear friend." Lorelai resolved to keep an eye on Alphonse. Being smitten with a demon was rarely a blessing, as the vast majority of them were incapable of real affection.

"As a change of topic." Lorelai spoke up again after a small pause. "I plan to stop by the Shadow Isles. I've been considering the phantom arm you've displayed, and my thoughts keep leading me to the Stryx. They're 'living' shadows, I thought they might have something to offer you."

She smiled at her companion. "What do you think?"

"An opportunity to look into my infernal legacy, and transcend the limits of my mortal flesh? Can't be any worse than what I've been doing. I can always use more ways to disappear." Alphonse's face turned devilish at the implications. If he was really lucky, he'd get to viciously murder something that deserved it.

---

Their expedition began with little fanfare, the fleet simply pushing off and sailing out into the black sea at Lorelai's whispered command. Demons roamed about the decks of the ships seeing to the rigging and other neccessary tasks with little passion. Soldiers sat stationary on benches below decks, occassionally moving to see to their equipment.

Lorelai paced the deck of the ship when the moon was out, a compass and map tracking their progression. At night she retreated below deck to rest and perform rituals to bind more blasphemous servitors to their cause.

Hezebel served dutifully, smiling demurely whenever her mistress was near. When she wasn't she continued to push her influence over the strange suitor that had cost her so much, when she could find him that is.

Weeks passed in relative silence, until finally they'd arrived at their first destination.

The Shadow Isles were a small collection of stark-black rocks jutting out of the burning abyssal sea. No light penetrated the crevices of the formations, no sounds came from the desolate rocks, and no life flourished anywhere near them.

Lorelai and Alphonse stood on the deck of their ship as it moored against the first of the small landmasses. "Hungry shadows, that's another name for the Stryx. I can't follow here, the shadows pull at my life force even from this distance."

She patted her companion on the back. "If you have need of me, call out, and I'll aid if I can." She flashed a grin. "But you should be fine."

Alphonse cracked his neck to either side, smiling cockilly. "Don't worry about it. Just a bunch of shadows blending in, right?" He chuckled. He was in a good mood. Better than he had been in during the whole of his travels on the ship. He strode out onto the shore.

Alphonse melded into the shadows of the island, and found himself in an unfamiliar position. The sensations were the same. He could feel and recognize everything around him that was covered in darkness. Which was everything. The strange thing was, within that darkness, there was no life. Alphonse could normally feel living creatures cast in shadows while he was within them. He had never been in a place with no living creatures at all. It was a peace he had never known before. Comforting even. The other thing that was strange, was that he was walking. The shadows of this island had a depth to them beyond that of the physical world. Alphonse found himself walking through a barren forest, everything around him was colored in shades of black, grey and white. Only he his own flesh shone with the light of light, except for his shadow arm, which now thrummed against his shoulder, filling him with a comforting sense of power. As he walked through the woods, he heard the hooting of owls. From the corner of his eye, he though he saw the glint of yellow contrasting sharply with the dark environment.

Their presence filled Alphonse with a sudden sense of trepidation. He recognized their murmuring calls. They were hunters, flocking and jockeying for a shot at the newest prey. Alphonse ran through the night, desperate to find a place to hide. Everything was darkness, blacks and greys. Everything except for Alphonse's radiant living flesh. He stood out against every shadow, every shade of black and white. no where was safe for him. The eyes were everywhere. His breath left him, his body ached. How long had he been running? There was no way to tell in this twilight realm. The only part of him that did not scream for release, was the shadowy arm at his side. As his body failed, the appendage thrummed with excitement. Hunger. It knew what the eyes looked for. It knew how they could survive.

Alphonse felt that hunger. Rather than being torn apart by the dark talons without, he allowed himself to be consumed by the darkness within. The part where his arm met his shoulder opened like a maw, and dragged itself along his torso, like a python devouring a boar. It didn't take long for Alphonse to be consumed by shadow. Lifeless. Dark. Hidden. Alphonse felt his soul lighten, the weight of guilt, of grief, now seemed irrelevant to him. He turned to the flock of eyes and darkness. He had to join the hunt.

---

Lorelai paced fretfully on the deck of her capital ship, smoke had been flowing from her nostrils nearly continuously for days. It had been days since Alphonse had departed for the shadow isles. After two days, she was forced to leave without him, presuming him dead. She might have been able to conjure a spell to invade the islands...but she needed that for the Plague Lord. Al would have to be one more casualty of this war.

"Loooorrrryyyyy, I'm hooooome!" A loud, drawn out cry suddenly shattered her brooding thoughts, and provoked a gout of flame flying over the ship's deck.
When Lorelai's momentary rage cleared, she saw a pair of yellow eyes in the shade beneath the cabin's shadow. Then Alphonse emerged, beeming smile in place. Though his previously blue eyes now glinted an animalistic yellow cant. "Did you miss me?"

"I did, until you elected to startle me." Lorelai smiled at Alphonse. "Now I'm somewhat ambivalent."

She surveyed her friend, noting the change to the man's eyes with pride. "Well done, was it everything you hoped for?"

Alphonse's smile turned savage, as he displayed a great many teeth. "Everything, and more Lorelai. I have an all new perspective now. As well, as a few new tricks." He raised his arms, and allowed them to relax back into shadows, then flexed them back into flesh and blood. "I don't want to ruin any surprises though, you'll see soon enough." His smile relaxed to his normal expression. "The whole thing was.....good, I guess, different. I flew with them. The strix. I met my father....we didn't really have a lot to say." Alphonse fell silent, not know what else to say.

"Good to hear, and I look forward to you showcasing your new techniques. I imagine there will be ample opportunity for that shortly, the remainder of our expedition will be brief, and bloody." Lorelai grinned.

---

As promised they arrived on the beach of the Plague Lord's domain within a week of leaving the Shadow Isles. Without the Lord's influence the land was barren and devoid of life of any kind. The witches and their army disembarked the fleet in silence.

"Alphonse, we're looking for a holy redoubt." Lorelai turned to her companion. "I need you to grab up a scout, and find out the extent of their defenses. Are you up to the task?"

Alphonse raised one eye brow at his murder buddy. "There's a holy redoubt? In the middle of hell?" Alphonse shrugged. "Alrightt, if that's that we need, I'm your man." Alphonse tipped forward, and fell face first onto the ground, flattening immediately into his own shadow.

---

Another glorious day in one of the worst places in the cosmos, Diom's gaze fell once again upon the barren planes of the plague lands, nothing seemed out of place, the radiance of his golden wings banished any shadows that could conceal any threats to his sacred ward. Yes, another boring day of.....pain shot through Dion's back in an instant, his feathered body twisted to look above him to see bright yellow eyes piercing his essence. He struggled to tear away from the dark creature's talons, but felt his strength fading fast, too fast. Finally, he literally tore away the beast, golden blood trailing behind him. He dove fast, desperately trying to make his way back to the keep. The shadow followed behind him, its shadow oppressing Dion's guttering light. Dion was desperately trying to gain speed, but he couldn't keep his wings sturdy, he was losing altitude too fast. The shadow's talons pierced his back once more, driving him into the earth. His light was now a faint glimmer, before the dark owl's beak pierced his skull, and drank deeply of the red gold life within.

---

Zureil examined the sky, or rather the cavernous ceiling of the abyssal plane she'd been assigned to. Her tenure here had been uneventful thus far, and while that was likely a blessing, it did make her brethren restless. They stood at their posts, disciplined as ever, but some of their vigilant gazes had turned glassy as the decades wore on.

On the horizon, facing the coast of the Blood Sea, a dark shape took form. She raised the alarm mentally, it seems some Lord or another decided that a favor from the Plague Lord was worth the risk. She smirked, how wrong they were, this would be a welcome break from the tedium.

Her smirked quickly faded as the horrific smoke finally took form. This was no lord. Death came for them on black wings that blotted out the sky. A Dragon, an Old God of the infernal planes. Her shadow passed over the plane towards them, and a hideous army of twisted demonic shapes sprang up in its wake.

"Quickly! Rally the sentinels! We can't let them trap us in the keep." Soldiers rushed about the courtyard beneath her, outfitting themselves for the battle ahead.

Many of the men on the walls were too slow. Starlight gathered in the beast's maw as it approached, and a horrific gout of flame accompanied its challenging roar. Men died in moments as even a large section of the outer wall was reduced to molten slag.

"Sisters! To me!" Zureil conjured several of her lesser kin, and took to the skies. If she couldn't kill the beast, or at least drive it back, their walls would be useless.

Below her the demonic infantry finally collided with her mounted division. Twisted screams filled the air as foul soldiers were impaled by the golden lances of her men. They showed no signs of stopped, of their lines breaking. Demons did not fear, and never relented. This would be a long night.

"dada dada da dummmm.... " Alphonse hummed to himself as he removed his profaned blade from a minor angel's chest. He wasn't sure if the weapons rage and loathing was more directed towards being used to destroy it's lor'ds servants, or his casual self amusement while doing so.... Alphonse had switched out his black ensemble for a white one. There were literally no shadows within the keep, as he had discovered from the eagle thing's blood. He was a bit irritated, nothing a little bit of fun on the job couldn't fix.

"Terrible thing about focus," He said thoughtfully to the dimming corpse. "Is that it precludes you from finding information from other sources. Like behind you....or slightly to the left of the big pretty battle going on outside." His gaze spread out over the wall at the terrible hosts meeting with the profane legion and sighed. "That looks like a whole lot of work." His body shimmered into shadow as he flew to a high window, and returned to flesh. He was in, and guards were at a bare minimum, just as he knew they would. Terrible and impressive as Lorelai's display had been, she wouldn't be able to defeat the angel's hosts as they were now. The sacred ark in the castle's heart was empowering them, not only holding the darkness of the plaguelands at bay, but siphoning the might of the Plague Lord into the Angels, stoking their fires to even greater fury.

Alphonse made his way into the keep's inner sanctum, silently killing the occasional guard he couldn't work his way around. Down a vaulted hallway, there was a massive gold trimmed marble door. Before it floated a silver gold sphere, enameled in mandelas. Around its circumfrence rose six feathered wings. Before each wing floated a burning brass blade. Alphonse had some work to do.

---

Zuriel's battle was going better than she'd expected. Holy lightning was slowly wearing through the beast's hide. It's scales glew a molten red were her bolts had kissed its profane essence. Gouts of cosmic fire had claimed several of her sisters thus far, but she'd have to mourn them later.

The trouble was that her bolts weren't cutting through the scales as fast as they needed to, she didn't like her odds against the Dragon up close. She didn't really have an option, however.

She ordered her sisters forward, towards the Dragon's head. They nodded grimly, giving their lives without hesitation. As the beast turned to bathe them in its flames, Zuriel darted forward. Her mace crackled with divine lightning as she hefted it in both hands for a decisive blow.

Its shuddering bulk was wreathed in lightning for a moment as her blow struck its flank. Molten blood met her strike, pouring from a rupture in the creature's stony hide. It screamed in pain and defiance. Her remaining sisters clutched their ears as the blasphemous roar washed over them, blood pouring from their mouths and noses as they fell dead from the sky. Zuriel was stunned by the utterance, and before she recovered the beast had established distance between them. It dissappeared into the inky, black darkness of the Plague Lands.

Zuriel gave chase. She felt the opportunity to slay a Dragon, how could she pass it up?

---

A marble pillar burst into molten fragments as a burning blade roared through it. Alphonse rolled to try to pierce one of the angel's wings. Alphonse had spent far more time than he had liked fighting this thing. His profaned blade couldn't pierce the armored sphere, and he couldn't get close enough to its wings due to the flame. Alphonse's ears were filled with the roar of flame before shifting into darkness once again. He had miscalculated the angel's arcs of reach, and was forced once again to rely on his shadowform to avoid certain death. Though his breath was even, his body was beginning to feel heavy. Shifting so quickly so often was beginning to wear on him, compounded by the sheer heat exhaustion from being the whirling inferno that was his adversary. "fuck this." He finally said to himself, as he shifted into shadow, and flitted under the door.

He was barely able to pull his body back together as he emerged on the other side. The sanctum was the most opulent chapel he had ever seen, even compared to the rest of the glorious castle. Made even more so by the oppressive holy light of the tabernacle held in a place of reverence on a raised platform, as if standing in for an altar. Alphonse could feel the profaned crucifix burning against his chest, its power pushed to its limit by the oppressive atmoshpere around him.

He pushed forward, pulling the last breath from his cloak, quickly dousing his blade in the cloudy dark mist of an innocent man's last breath. He raised to cleave box open, when the doors that the minor angel had been guarding burst open in a heaving explosion. It didn't hesitate for a moment as it sensed through whatever sacred equivalent it had for vision perceived his intent. It's wings retracted, and the complicated panels of its body shifted and opened to reveal an orb of sunlight. A molten blast erupted from it to consume Alphonse's body in sacred fire. No shadow would survive its might. Alphonse had other plans.

He leaped, flipping backwards over the pillar of flame, soaring towards the sphere. In midair, his body shifted to the black owl he now was and dove into the angel's heart. The shell closed around him, as he entered. It jerked through the air. It slammed into the walls before finally it dropped to the ground. The plates fell apart, as Alphonse spread hit terrible black wings.

He hopped to the tabernacle while shifting back to his human form, and plunged his now especially profaned blade into the tabernacle's lock.The Tabernacle exploded in a flash of light, then went out, leaving a faint glow in the center where it had been. When it faded, a white puss began to bubble forth. Alphonse watched, and smiled.

---

Alphonse sat on one of the ruined castle walls, his head reasting on his fist. He sighed again, as he heard yet another ragged scream echo through the cave. The battle had ended rather abruptly after the tabernacle was defiled. The angels were denied the voice of god, and the demons fell over them. Alphonse had joined the fray, mostly because the chapel quickly became inhospitable due to the puss, and the fevered smell emanating from it. Now that all of the murder was done, Alphonse found himself feeling content, yet irritated.

He felt full, the cherubim had been a filling meal, and the mission was done. It was time to sit or lay down and relax. Which was difficult to do with the racket echoing through this entire biosphere.

"How long is she gonna drag this out?" Hezebel commented as she sashayed to his roost. "You think she'd let us watch?" She smiled maliciously. "Or we could make our own show."

Alphonse considered her for a moment. He was content, full. Yet Hezebel's words brought the irritating screams into a new context. Maybe he could drown them out with some other screams. He felt a moment of guilt at the thought, but he quickly disregarded it. Triss had Sousiel to keep her company, what of it if Alphonse took some pleasure of his own?

"I can get a good seat for it. You'll have to sit on my lap for it though." Alphonse said with a grin.

"Oh? Not a lot of room?" She replied coyly.

"No, I just want to fuck you."

---

"I'm sorry mistress." The angel, now named Serrus, groveled at Lorelai's feet as the woman replaced her robe. "Truth is painful, it was a moment of weakness."

"That's quite alright, you are forgiven." Lorelai giggled. Serrus was quite docile now, but corruption would do that to a woman. "Now clean yourself up."

"Yes mistress." Serrus moved around the cave, collecting scraps of her clothing and doing her best to restore her modesty. The overall effect still left the majority of her body bare, but managed to barely cover her nipples and womanhood. The remaining scraps she used to wipe away the blood, sweat, and tears, before presenting herself to her mistress again. "Does this please you?"

"We'll get you into something more flattering when we get home, but that suits you for now." The way the angel refused to meet her eyes, or blushed like a schoolgirl everytime she spoke was almost endearing. She extended her elbow. "Come along."

Serrus link her arm through her new mistress' hesitantly. Her skin still burned lightly at the contact, as the accursed higher planes hadn't yet been beaten from her. Pain was the route to truth though, and she'd suffer in silence from now on. She belonged to Lorelai Von'strauss, and belongings don't complain.

Lorelai lead them out of the cave. She'd fly back, but she'd given the Dragon enough sway over her for now. She sighed, "Looks like we're walking."

"When your devoted servant is at the ready to transport you?" Alphonse's voice came from her left, where there had been nothing just a moment before. Hezebel stood beside him, both of them completing the final fastenings of their clothing. "The redoubt is secure, though it's getting pretty stanky. So...yeah, breath through your mouth or something."

"Ah, anticipating my needs, I'm truly blessed." Lorelai's face was cheerful, but internally concern spread across her mind. Alphonse had seemed rather torn about straying from his dear Triss when it was neccessary, and now he was rutting with Hezebel shamelessly, not even bothering to cover signs of the sin.

Perhaps he was over her, they had talked about it. For now she'd watch him closely. "Shall we dear?"

Alphonse spread himself on the ground and brought the others with him into darkness. It was time they met the newly awakened Plague Lord.

They emerged from Alphonse's shadow in the room that previously held the tabernacle. The abyssal energies of the plane had reasserted themselves, and the room had lost any traces of its once bright decadance.

Instead they stepped into an altar to disease. The stench of rotting death filled the air, rats wallowed in filth in the cesspools at the corners of the room, servitors attended their lord amidst a chorus of coughs and pained weezes.

The Plague Lord squatted atop his throne of filth. He had the head of a rat, and his vaguely humanoid body was covered in matted fur marred by oozing sores and pustules. He lifted his head to greet them, before bowing low before Lorelai.

"Mistress, you have my thanks, but surely that isn't enough." He chittered. "Speak what you desire of Disease, and it shall be done."

"Indeed, I need a plague fit to end a war. Something only your vile will could conjure." Lorelai curled her nose. She was no stranger to the stink of hot death, but this place held a concentration that was unsurpassed in her years. She pulled Serrus close, and covered her nose with a handful of the angel's hair. "And your everlasting loyalty."

"The second is a given, Mistress," The creature cackled. "In death I still dreamed, and in those fevered landscapes I created something. A cure, for the disease of humanity."

"Go on." Fortunately Serrus' hair smelled pleasant, and mostly blocked out the putrid stench of the room.

"A pathogen, with an incubation period of one month. During the first month it will present as a small cold. Sniffles, a light fever, coughing, but nothing serious." The Lord smirked, and removed several runes jars from his tattered finery. "Then, it will change them. Within a day they'll become little more than savage, hungry beasts content to feed on their own kind. The change will also make them stronger, faster, and more perceptive."

"And an immunity? How will me and mine remain safe if the hillsides swarm with beasts?" Lorelai arched an eyebrow.

"They won't attack others with the same strain, and it will mutate every twenty hosts or so." The creature extended a jar with blue runes. "This is the master strain. It's a harmless disease, but it's dominant over the rest, so you needn't fear infection from its lesser cousins. It also causes the beasts to react to you as if you were a member of their pack."

"Delightful!" Lorelai cooed. She turned to her companions. "What do you guys think?"

"Sounds pretty genius to me." Alphonse responded. "It's pretty hard to quarantine someone who's lost their shit, and willing and able to fight."

"And it should be able to spread before its symptoms become obvious."[/color] Hezebel offered. "I'm curious about the mutations, what purpose do they serve?"

"Not only do they make the disease harder to study and understand, they also serve to change the strain, meaning that so long as regular human prey is unavailable they'll kill each other." The creature chittered with mirth.

"Sounds like you're going to mutate them all into various splintered tribes of violent savages." Hezebel said dryly. "Not much of a change is it?"

Lorelai and the Plague Lord looked at each other, then burst into laughter. "No, I suppose not much, but it will be faster."

"Well, I'm satisfied," Lorelai made Serrus collect the bottles while she held her breath. Once she'd returned with her built in air filter she turned towards the exit. "Sousiel's home now, she should be able to drag us out. Any last buisness before we leave?"

Alphonse nodded gravely. "I do have a request for the Plague Lord." He turned to the fetid rat. "You mentioned that you crafted a master disease that effectively innocculated you from the others of it's strain. I'm the one that broke the seal on your grave. Could you make me one that ate STDs?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes while the Plague Lord laughed. "Of course!" One of the boils on his body twisted and changed color before bursting. The rat caught the expelled fluid in another runed bottle, produced from his many pockets. "Rut to your heart's content."

"Oh, I'm sure he will." Lorelai heaved an exasperated sigh as the Plague Lord handed Alphonse his prize. "Anything else?"

"I don't.....eat it, do I?" Alphonse inquired. The Plague Lord nodded, and chittered again. Alphonse downed the infectious concoction, and gagged, nearly retching. After lapping his tongue several times to get the taste out of his mouth he said. "Nah, I'm good, let's go."

---

They arrived back in Lorelai's summoning chamber, home once again. Lorelai sighed happily as the portal yawned closed behind them.

She turned to Hezebel and Serrus. "Hezebel, familiarize yourself with the remainder of my servitors. Sousiel is your superior, and she will kill you for insubordination." Hezebel bowed to her mistress and silently left the room to make good on her orders.

"Serrus, you'll be attending to me as a personal servant. Go familiarize yourself with the castle, and bring Elizabeth James to my chambers." Serrus nodded, and promptly fled the room.

She turned to Alphonse. "Well done old friend. Take a couple of days to yourself before reporting back in. You've earned it."

Alphonse cast his gaze all around him. Overwhelmed with the news. He had never seen nor heard such a thing, an honest and justly earned vacation. "Lore, I am honored. Thank you." Alphonse melded into shadow. He had to make stomaching that disgusting draught worth it somehow.

Lorelai smiled, and limped out of the chamber. There was always more work to be done. "Let's see how Elizabeth has handled things, shall we?" She muttered.

_{in collaboration with @Meiyuki}



"It is biting me!"

"Well, trying not holding it near it's head,"

"It is a circle, it is literally all head!"

Two voices could be heard just outside the library a moment before Ang tossed open the door, leading a very distraught Taran. Who was busy wrestling with what looked like a ball of flame.

"Taran, dear, better keep it away from those books if you want to keep your head," called Ang's sing song voice. "Medusa dear?" she called in. "Are you here?"

Medusa promptly stood and made her way towards the pair. Her face bore a stern frown that didn't quite reach her eyes. She'd figured Ang had left as whimsically as she'd arrived, just gone in the night. She was pleased to see her back, and Taran in tow, but they'd have to talk about warnings and things like that.

"Lovely to have you back," She said, somewhat bitter. "Taran too, of course."

She examined the ball of fire that Taran was struggling with. "Well, isn't this a queer creature. Is this what called you away?"

"Didn't...you....know?" said Taran, holding the creature to his chest as it screeched. He glanced over at Ang. "You told me that she order it," his voice broke a little as the creature bit into his figure.

"What I said was, 'Medusa will probably appreciate you coming with me' and then I told you to come. It is different," She then turned away from the boy, facing her lover. Reaching out to take her hand. "Did you miss me m'love?"

Medusa thought about rejecting Ang's hand, but that would spite her just as much as her crazy lover. She sighed, a small smile finally gracing her lips. "Perhaps I'd miss you if you'd told me you'd be back. Instead I've been angry at you for leaving in the middle of the night."

She kissed Ang's cheek. "It is good to have you back though."

After the brief warmth she returned her attention to Taran and his ward. "Well, I certainly do appreciate you making yourself useful, yes. However, I didn't order this. I'll count it as you taking initiative, instead of being decieved by a crazy witch. Looks much better that way, don't you think?" She smirked.

"Nothing personal love, it was urgent and unavoidable, but I dreamed of you ever night," There was a purr in her voice.

"Loudly, very loudly she dreamed of you every night, can I go now? What do I do with this?" Taran's face was already starting to color as the memory of the things that came out of Ang's mouth flashed through his head.

"Just stand there, the adults are talking," she snapped, before turning back to her lover.

Medusa rolled her eyes, laughing. "Well, you two have missed alot."

She sighed. "Let's see. Lorelai and I have found an uneasy peace, I've agreed to cede leadership of the coven to her during wartime, and she's promised not to kill me, or try to, until the larger threat is dealt with."

Ang jerked her hand back. "What? Why? Now we have to put it back," she grumbled glancing at Taran, who looked nothing less than totally relieved. "But, why would you choose to make such a deal?"

"Because we really do have better enemies than each other, and part of me still hopes to repair our relationship." Medusa shuddererd. "And she's done something to herself... she's not even remotely human anymore. I'm going to need to know more about that before I aim to face her again, should the time come."

"Right! As an example of our better enemies. Your pet escaped, through a staggering series of blunders, and has informed the hunters of Seren's Folley as to our location." Medusa groaned. "So we'll have plenty of things for your... fire thing to do."

"It isn't my fire thing, it is our fire thing," she whipsered taking a step closer to her. "Does she still have those tiny humans following her around?" Everyone still has weaknesses. Or they should. "Also, what pet are you speaking of? I can always kill it,"

"Abby and Lotte? Yes, I believe she's adopted them." Medusa wasn't sure to be pleased or horrified at Ang's implication. All's fair in love and war right? "Matrim, I believe was the name of the pet in question. I would very much love for him to die, but I fear the damage is done."

"I am sure she loves them to the moon and back," blanket statment.
"Taran, why don't you run along with our little fire ball while mummy and mummy talk about grown up stuff. Just drop the fire ball in a bowl of water, that should keep it cooled off enough for now,"

That was all the dismissal that Taran needed before slinking off into some other corner of the castle.

"Darling boy love, perhaps we should invite him to our bed once," she smiled petting the womans hair softly. "We must also plan our hunting games, you think?"

"Perhaps, although I doubt his sensibilities match ours, dear." Medusa laughed.

"I agree entirely, there's a great deal of killing to be done." Medusa took Ang's lips this time. "I can't imagine a better partner to enjoy it with."

"He would be fun to watch squirm," Ang was silenced with the kiss. "You taste just as I rememeber," she whispered softly. "When we catch my little pet, shall we keep him forever or kill him ever so slow?"

"I think death is too kind for the trouble he's cost us." Medusa began leading Ang to her bedchambers. Planning was important, but there was an itch that hadn't been scratched in nearly a month. It needed attended to, and promptly. "I say we compose wondrous choruses of his screams, and dance gayly to them."

"So many parts to play with and break, so many screams," she said, following her love into the room. "Speaking of screams, I can think of a few I want to hear from you,"

_{in collaboration with @SunsetRoses}



Elizabeth tucked Lotte and Abby into bed, sitting by them and reading a book as they fell asleep eagerly. She looked outside one of the tower's windows, the moon had risen to its full height. It was time for her to get out. She carefully crept around, taking off her armor, and attaching her whip to her thick trousers.

After a final look at Lotte and Abby, Elizabeth closed the door to their personal tower and began walking. She had no need to be silent, explanations weren't to be given by her. She walked with purpose, her feet audibly pressing against the stone stairs. At the bottom of the staircase was her method of transportation, Bob.

Bob creaked a greeting, kneeling so she could properly mount him. Elizabeth held on to a scrap of his loose leathery hide, where bone met skin. He made a musical impersonation of a whinny, rearing up to get a muffled giggle out of Liz, and heading off into the night. They ran through the castle depths, a woman with blonde hair whipping around atop a ghastly beast. Once She broke the castle walls, Elizabeth yipped, and Bob charged the rest of the journey.

A whiplashed Elizabeth dismounted before a bright bonfire. Bo flattered her with a cheshire grin, claws wrapped around the neck of a bottle, his eyes flashing in the light of the fire. Beebop stood beside Butch, in a chugging contest to see who could drain their bottles faster. Butch took the lead, the mouth on his hip chewing away at the bottle he had completed.

Bob pranced around, a festive music coming from the depths of his throat. Elizabeth couldn't have been happier. She let the worries of the day fade away as she was handed a bottle, which was uncorked and drained almost immediately. She enjoyed the buzz, something she hadn't let herself do in a long time.

Beebop strolled over to her, his uneven horns creating dancing shadows in the flames. He held out a giant hand, his strange jaw contorting into a grin via the crunch of a few dry muscles. “Lizzie...dance? He croaked, his voice broken and gravely.

Elizabeth grinned, taking his hand and nodding. “Of course, Beebop.” She said, leading the large demon in a fast waltz around the fire. Bob would change the pace or tone of the music, making them shift their feet and switch dances midstep, as a game they had devised during one of the slow days of meetings.

Andri's day had been very busy. After having made sure that Rebecca would receive the casing for her phylactery, there had been no real excuse left for not re-reading the instructions package again and heading out. His job was to patrol the larger area around the castle, detect any hunters approaching it and spy upon them - hopefully not with him being spotted himself. It was a task that required keeping a low profile, so he had decided to do it on foot. He couldn't just engage the enchantment Lorelai had told him about and walk around freely, because there was only a very limited time before it would have to regenerate for the next day or so. He had to spare it for a real emergency or any situation that could not be solved otherwise. What he could and even had to do however was to start training on how to use Khan as a gateway to access it. Another, though small and probably only temporary victory for that worm that already was cheered up to the brim.

The day went by, and most of it the giant had spent on climbing a number of trees that had seemed suitable to survey the area. It was way more effective than just walking around on the ground. Now it was dark, it became harder and harder for him to see anything. The moonlight could only barely reach the ground of this forest, so he hoped for any hunting group to use torches or the like that would announce their approach from far away.

Andri's shift was almost over, soon he would be able to return to his bed and have a nice sleep after a long, rather exhausting day. But then he spotted not only a torch, but a whole bonfire. He squinted his eyes: Were these hunters ? He couldn't clearly see, so he slid down the rope he had slung around one of the bigger branches and went investigating. His pace was very slow and almost halfway crouched so his silhouette would be smaller. A whole lot of small branches that would crack when anyone stepped on them made the job more difficult, but on the other hand there were plenty of trees providing cover and he was not being hit by much moonlight as well. Forests were a rather two-edged thing.

Coming closer, he could finally identify what was going on. This weren't hunters. But what was it ? Demons ? Very strange and unnnatural creatures he had not seen before. They had to come from the castle, that meant that in theory, he should not have a real reason to be afraid. But he was, because... who knew what such things did when they were alone ? It was a reason to continue sneaking until, to his relief and alarm at the same time, he spotted his general, Elizabeth. That's when he gave up his hiddenness and approached her and the creatures openly.

"Liz ?" He kept his voice low, because words could travel far. "May I ask what you are doing out here ? It's dangerous to lit a fire, everyone can see you."

The demons around Liz had noticed Andri’s presence before she. They had all stopped what they were doing, getting into offensive positions. Even Beebop, who knew Liz could defend herself, had taken up a crouch in front of her. They stared at Andri, until Liz started laughing.

“Guys, he's fine. This is Andri.” Elizabeth stepped before Beebop, and they all backed down. Bob started humming an abient tune, as if they were about to start a fight. Elizabeth curtsied before Andri, grinning.

“You could say it isn't the safest thing, but I hadn't heard from you about any troops, and the boys thought it would help my stress levels.” Elizabeth shrugged, craning her neck to stare at Andri.

Bo raised a meaty paw, ready to add a comment. “It's also a perfect place to practice possesions, something Elizabeth desperately needs to work on.” He puffed up his overcoat, which was tan and covered in claw marks.

“That's Bo,” Elizabeth stated, pointing at the giant cat. “Bob, Butch, and Beebop.” She pointed at the skeletal beast, the gargoyle, and the humanoid demon with the mismatched horns respectively.

"Help your stress levels ?" There was way more doubt in his tone that he had intended to be there. In fact, the uneven creatures had helped increasing his stress levels. Butch was just... well... he appeared to be up to his name. The assassin did notice the additional mouths and instinctively decided to keep a minimum distance to him. He liked cats, but Bo didn't look like as if Andri would enjoy it if he jumped into his bed, pressed himself against him as close as possible and started purring. Beebob was the one resembling an ordinary human most closely, a clear plus point for him, though it was still obvious that he was an otherworldy being. Bob - what was he ? Andri couldn't help but to think about the possibility of him being some kind of very strange horse. He had no idea that Bob indeed had become Liz' mount. And... music ? That had nothing to do with shredding someone into innocent pieces before chewing him up, so Bob was the unknowing winner.

"I can only assume that Lorelai has ordered them to serve you ? Corrent me if I'm wrong please." He didn't add anything to the bonfire matter, because Liz had made a point. Yet still he believed that it would have been way better not to have lit it, because him not having spotted anyone didn't necessarily mean that there really wasn't anyone out there. He was just too confused and astonished to stick to that topic right now.

Elizabeth recoiled at the use of the word serve, it demeaned them. She did ask for their assistance from time to time, but they usually romped around the castle and did as they pleased. She glanced back at them, all four were staring at her, wanting to know her answer. She cleared her throat and shook her head.

“They work alongside me, my closest confidants. Lorelai has given them to me, and I have freed them substantially.” Elizabeth scratched her arm, her hair falling around her face. “I personally consider them friends, that's why I'm having a bash with them.”

Her answer had appeased the demons, who went back to drinking and chatting. Bob strolled up to Elizabeth, pressing against her side. She stroked his leather hide, and he spoke up. “He thinks we're freaks. Big talk for the friendly giant in a skintight sex suit.” He croaked out, his voice a mixture of uneven strings.

Elizabeth held back a giggle, her cheeks turning red. “Speaking of which, I'm liking the suit.” She winked, and Bob cried a laugh.

Having the four creatures in the corner of his view, Andri could see how they reacted to their dialogue and how they were hanging on Liz's every word. It made him afraid of having said anything wrong, but luckily, the situation seemed to resolve itself pretty quickly. "Sorry to have put pressure on you. It seems that I've been the one to have said something strange."

And then there was the thing he had almost forgotten over his busy day outside the castle, but that had come back to haunt him right now. He couldn't understand anything of what Bob was saying, but Liz's reaction and subsequent statement gave room to suspicions. "Lorelai said that the design would help me to not get caught on branches or anything. I can clearly understand and appreciate that, but now the stares of others get caught on me." The giant sighed. "I'm feeling oddly in it and clinging to the hope that this feeling will subside some day. It has some other very interesting features though."

Elizabeth waved it off dismissively, his apology wasn't needed, but it was welcome. She snorted when he told her Lorelai’s opinion on his suit. “Whatever those interesting features are, I'm pretty sure I can still kick your ass in it.” She winked, shifting her weight between her feet.

“Ever fought someone possessed?” Liz’s lips curled up into a grin. It was probably the buzz talking, but she figured she could do with a possession right then. “Better question, have you ever seen someone become possessed? Best thrill of my life.”

It was quite obvious that Andri wasn't very pleased about someone telling him straight away how bad a fighter he was in many, if not most situations. Yet it was a truth he couldn't deny, even without being posessed Liz would likely not have that much of a problem dealing with him as long as she knew where he was and that he would come.

"You sound as if you would like to try it out right here. Do you think this is a good idea ?"

“Of course! There isn't a required ritual for full fledged demons.” Elizabeth brightened, smiling to ease Andri's nerves. She could tell he didn't like being called incapable, but any assassin had an advantage in the woods. She gestured towards her demons, as though she was showing off priceless artifacts.

“You can choose. I'll go fisticuffs and you can use anything you have on you. We'll turn out the fire as well.” Her voice was thick with excitement, Bob was bouncing on his legs. “Don't go easy on me, as long as you don't kill me I should be fine.”

Andri was quite a bit shocked. She would really do that, right here right now ? With the possibility of a bunch of hunters coming into range at any time ? But he had already raised his concerns, there would be no point in doing it again. He could just hope that Liz would not be consumed by her powers. That was what bothered him the most right now.

"Anything ? If you say so... I'll wait for you to be ready."
Khan ? You heard the lady. Get ready!
For sex ? Anything you have on you includes the thing between your legs. It's so big...
Stop being stupid!

Elizabeth nodded, moving to stand in front of Butch. She curtsied, and Butch bowed, wings sweeping the floor. She hadn't yet practiced with one of them, but Butch seemed quite capable. Bo was intelligent, but he wouldn't be useful in a fight. Elizabeth stood perfectly still, waiting for the possession to take place.

Butch became a black sludge, smelling obnoxiously of fumes. Elizabeth opened her mouth, her eyes wide. He entered her through those points, invading her mind. His power coursed through her body, making her tremble pleasurably. She turned back towards Andri, opening her mouth and allowing Butch to speak through her.

“Let's go, Andri. I want to see what that demon in your head can do.” He grumbled, his voice thick and deep like a batch of molasses. Elizabeth smiled, an action all her own, she was ready for the fight. Behind her, Bo, Beebop, and Bob were stomping out the fire. Once it was dark, their only light was the moonbeams.

To say that Andri felt uneasy was a bit of an understatement. Fighting with a friend was one thing, doing it with the friend posessing an intimidating demon was another. He pulled out his garotte out of one of the pockets and inspected it to make sure that it was in proper order. Then he took a few steps back so he wouldn't stand right in front of her. "I suggest any of us calling 'stop' in case things get too harsh." Then he vanished. It wasn't the darkness that consumed him, it was the armor. He was just too eager to try it out in a halfway real situation, even if it meant spending its limited resources on this. He tended to regard this as training for him.

However the cloak only made him disappear from one's eyesight, not from one's ears. He still had to sneak around or Liz would have a good guess at where he was. Teleporting would also cause some noise, because there was a lot of air that was displaced instantaneously at the point where he rematerialized, so he didn't use that. Instead, he walked around Liz in a wide arc, hoping that she would not turn her back just when he was ready.

‘You have to let me take over, kid. I know where he is.’ Butch pleaded, pressing his powers and trying to force Elizabeth's legs into action. Elizabeth, however, held her ground. ‘Let him have his moment, Butch. We can still pull through.’ She smiled, crouching defensively with her fists in a proper stance.

Butch strained against her, but Liz was far too stable for a worker demon such as him. ‘You're stubborn, kid. He's right behind you, once he gets the drop on you we're out of this fight.’ Elizabeth rolled her eyes, still waiting. ‘Don't doubt us, Butch. We just have to wait.’

Andri was approaching his target while Khan kept silent. Being a demon himself, he could have known better, but why should he issue a warning to his host ? As long as he would survive everything was fine! After all it was fun to watch for the worm.

Then he was in range, holding his breath so Liz would not feel him in the last moments of his approach while he would be already and invisibly lowering his garotte over her head.

‘He's right behind you, attack now or forever hold your peace. Butch said, his thick voice a sing-song. Elizabeth growled, turning on her heel to find...nothing. Through the confusion, she launched her attack. It was a solid right hook, made worse because of the power thrown into it by Butch. She had no idea where it would land, or if it would land at all. She couldn't see him, but Butch seemed more than adamant about this.

The fist had no chance to hit anywhere near his face, given the immense difference in height between Liz and him. However it diving into his belly wasn't a nice thing either. It made Andri loose the air in his lungs and holding his stomach while he was stumbling to one side, dropping the cloak.
You know... I knew this was coming. Demons can feel each other. Didn't you know that ? Oh of course you didn't, silly! Khan was chuckling.
The assassin would have wanted to be able to vomit Khan out of his body, but he couldn't no matter how close to vomiting he actually was. "Can we end this right now ? This duel is so far away from any circumstances I ensure to be met before starting a fight... And I've got the point that I'm no match for you, okay ?" If one listened closely, one could hear a huff in his tone. If it was directed to Khan or to her - he didn't tell.

Elizabeth heard his tone, and turned sheepish. She turned away from him, letting Butch’s sludge flow out of her mouth and eyesockets. “Take the others home, would you? I think Andri has had enough of demonic company for the night.” She chewed on her lip, her gaze casting downwards.

Butch nodded, stepped towards Elizabeth and giving her a pat on the back. “You did good, kid.” He stated, turning to Andri and grimacing. “You too,” he muttered, taking to the air.
They could both hear the collective sound of demons trudging through the forest, a somber melody being played by Bob.

Elizabeth sighed, turning back to Andri and holding out a hand. “Sorry, I got in over my head. You shouldn't feel bad, I have an unfair advantage.” The word tasted vile on Liz’s tongue, but she said it to boost Andri's ego. Demons were so much easier to deal with, they understood what she had to go through to get those powers. She had seen so much death, and in her sleep she could still feel Lady Nocticula’s tentacles reaching for her. “Would you like to stick around? Just you, me, and Khan?”

"Stop talking about Khan! He's a damn asshole!" Andri replied, enraged and trying to calm down.
"I'd really like to leave him out of the equation, but that's not possible. So... what would you like to do now ?" He swallowed the 'together with a sucker like me' part shortly before he would have spoken it out.

The demons left and Andri's facial expression was asking Liz why she had told them to do so. "You know I have demonic company all the time ?" The somber melody Bob was playing didn't fade past a certain point. Apparently he refused to leave and after a short time it made the assassin feel quite a bit sorry for him. "Hey... Bob. Come back if you want to." He inspected Liz's countenance if she did agree with his words or not.

“Someone's got demon issues. What a sap, tell him to grow a pair, would you?” Bob screeched as he strutted out into the clearing, flicking his head proudly. Elizabeth avoided his gaze, refusing to acknowledge his rudeness. Sometimes, she wished she hadn't learned his language. He usually chided others, with a temper that could outlast any other. He used the fact that few could understand him to his advantage.

“I understand that, but you have to live with...him. My demons are optional, may as well take that stress off your back.” Elizabeth's gaze wandered over to Bob, and she brightened with a small idea. “Come and ride with me, we can talk as we stroll.”

Bob stared at her, it was obvious that he didn't want Andri to ride him. As evident as that was, he kneeled, allowing them to mount with ease. Elizabeth sat down, riding with her face pointed at Bob's hind. She patted his leather hide gently, an offer towards Andri. “He can take your weight.”

“That doesn't mean I want to.” Bob grumbled, his demeanor shifting slightly when Elizabeth reached back and scratched his skeletal head.

Again, Andri had no idea what the large demon was talking about. In this case however it was probably the better thing. Getting told to 'grow a pair' would have certainly motivated Khan to interpret this words in his own way - and he already was really pissed off of that worm.

He walked over to Bob who was kneeling down. For the giant it was like sitting on a chair, but before he did that he inspected Bob's appearance more closely. It was somewhat fascinating, but not as fascinating as the fact that he apparently was addicted to playing music. Then he placed himself on the creatures back, making sure that he didn't deprive Liz of too much space.

‘God help me! He's huge!’ Bob cried, lifting up off the ground with ease. He hummed a tune, something easy and full of violin strings. They started moving towards a random area, the stroll more important than the destination.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, smiling up at Andri as they began moving. “Has everything been okay, Andri? Is it just the war...or are there other problems?” She asked him, wondering if he would confide in her. She had no idea how he was adjusting, if there were any romantic interests in his life. The only thing she did know was that he was having trouble with his mood, and with Khan.

The ex-hunter sighed. Apparently Liz was concerned about the harshness of his most recent words. "Sorry... I'm not angry at you. How could I ? It's just... things have been moving faster than I am able to catch up with them for some time now. Just a few weeks ago, I was a perfectly ordinary human and a hunter. Now I'm infested with a pervy demon, considered a traitor by my former colleagues, have not achieved anything on the long-term scale as a war between this coven and the hunters is rising, am walking around in an unkown type of leather that makes other poeple stare at me even more than they did before and I have just found out that I probably should start learning another type of self-defense in case the one I have does not suit the situation but I don't know what that could be or how to fit it into my schedule. And I don't understand what Bob is talking about."

He noticed that they had started moving. Probably this was one of the only chances in his life to share a ride with another person, because a normal horse was already struggling carrying him alone. Where would Bob take them to ? Hopefully there weren't any hunters around...

Elizabeth nodded, she understood what he was experiencing. Obviously, he was taking the integration more severely than she had. “I know what you mean, Andri. I was planted here by a demon, taken in by Lorelai Von’Strauss, someone I was supposed to hate.” She sighed, folding her hands before her. “I lost many friends, by accepting my stay here. Now, demons are my friends, and even some witches hate me because I was once affiliated with hunters.”

“If you need a teacher, I'm capable. We can share our issues while we punch each other.” Elizabeth laughed, but it was pained by their combined stress.

"And now you're the general... I don't feel like I could hold up the stress this position must bring with it. You know..." Andri's face started to go red, but it couldn't be seen from outside because it was mostly covered by the Nightstalker hide. "I'm admiring you a bit. Not for what you're in, but for what you're capable of. I don't even have an idea of what type of training would suit me best. The guys from the military tried to solve that problem, but perhaps they didn't have the right idea."

Elizabeth beamed, reaching up an arm and patting his shoulder. “Thank you, Andri.” Her eyes wandered over his stature, a silent giant. “You need some form of training in hand-to-hand contact. Once you learn that, I can train you in weaponry. A longsword, maybe my chain whip. Just to cover some bases.” She winked, tapping the whip that swung slowly on her hip. She unlatched it, handing it to him so he could look over its advanced craftmanship.

Bob crouched, telling them it was time to get off. Elizabeth swung her legs over his hide, sliding off of him and landing in a crouch on the floor of the clearing. It was plain, a simple break in the trees. There was little they could make out in the moonlight, but wildflowers sprouted her and there. Bob curled up in the corner, humming still. Elizabeth laid down in the grass, clenching it in her fingers. She waited for Andri to take a seat next to her, thinking.

Andri looked around. This seemed to be a quite ordinary clearing in the woods. No hunters to be seen, at least not yet. He relieved Bob of his weight and sat down next to Liz, her whip still in his hands. The quality of it clearly was Lenny's signature. He inspected the chain. "I'm afraid the first thing I would hit with that would be myself."

Bob was cute in some way, it lured a slight smile onto the hunter's face how he was lying there, curled and still a melody he took care about. "That longsword would probably be really long..."

“I could give you a blunt one, something that won't hurt quite as bad. If that's not enough, I'll tie a red flag around the dart.” Elizabeth took in the moon for a moment, before sitting up and resting besides Andri. The cool breeze nipped at her palm, and she tucked her hands into her sleeves.

“What are you going to do, Andri? After this war, will you stay?” Her tone became hushed, as she brought up the topic. If he left the coven, where would he be able to go? They would both be ruled as criminals of war, treason of the highest account. Even if he did stay, things would never quite be the same. First of all, her friends were demons, a species he would grow to hate if Khan stayed in his head. Secondly, Elizabeth was immortal now, bound to never grow old. She would be watching him as he died, a shriveled husk.

Andri pulled back the hood, but he did not turn around to look at her. His stare was fixed at the mixture of grass and wild flowers that was between his outstretched legs. He had forgotten to mention that question before. In fact, he had not had the time to consider it before, but now there was no way of evading it. The conclusions came in one after another and each of them hit hard. He didn't feel like he would have to tell Liz any of them, she most likely knew about the implications of his new existence herself perfectly. Mentally drawing the bottom line beneath all of them caused tears to roll down from his eyes and his voice become full of sorrow.

"I don't know. Do you ?"

Elizabeth picked at the grass, doing all she could to keep her eyes off of Andri. “Oh.” She muttered, glancing at him involuntarily. Her eyes caught on the tears running down his cheeks. She reached out, rubbing his back through his tight leather cloak. Her mind ran in circles, trying to think of a good answer that would appease them both. There weren't any. “I don't. For all my stress, I have no fear of the future. I take days as they come, and drown myself in work where I would usually prefer liquor. My optimism is blind, because I have so many people to reassure.”

"You know... You have a lot of time when you're out there, looking for things to come. I don't have the luxury of drowning myself." He could feel her fingers on his back. The leather was so conforming that it did allow for that feeling to pass through to his skin. Andri tried to suppress another volley of tears, but failed. "I can't even drown myself in liquor anymore, because of what's coming. Perhaps it would be better if I didn't survive it. People would just forget me, I would not have to hide for the rest of my life, in vain because everyone can recognize me."

“I'd never let you walk out there with the intent of dying.” Elizabeth's resolve was heavy in her voice. It made her upset to see Andri in this state, him wanting to leave was one thing. Wanting to die was another. She continued to rub his back, trying to soothe him. “I wouldn't forget you, Andri. Without you, none of this would be happening. Of course, Maxim’s escape threatened us with the possibility of a full scale attack, but we wouldn't have figured it would happen so soon. Now we're ready, and a big thanks falls to you.”

The hunter sobbed. "When I arrived in Lorelai's office, she already knew what happened. I asked her about what she was aware of before I gave any information. What I've effectively done is having gotten you out of Seren's Folley in front of everyone, yet I will be regarded a traitor for both things." He turned his head towards Liz for the first time, his eyes red-rimmed pools of salty liquid that were leaking in the direction of gravity. "I have to stay here forever. I've selected it this way, haven't I ?"

Elizabeth flinched, he looked so disappointed at the prospect. “M-maybe not, maybe we'll all get what we want? I can take my rightful inheritance, set you up with enough money to get you out of here. You won't have to stay.” She blanched, looking away as tears began to pour from her eyes. She wanted him to stay, for her. She was being greedy, she knew. If he stayed he would be miserable, surrounded by witches that he could never relate to, Khan or no.

"Money ?" He chortled. "No amount of damn money could solve these problems. I don't want to be some sort of rich fucker that solves problems with the people he is among with by throwing a sufficient amount of money at them. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy being here, but... Would they ever and truly accept me ? I've nothing to do with witchcraft. I even would nothing have to do with it if I didn't come from the opposite direction of it." He had noted that Liz had flinched. Did she want him to stay or was it just because of his devastated mood ? "Perhaps I can travel back and forth between here and some sort of more remote location where noone knows me. Somewhere far away."

Elizabeth nodded, there was a possibility that she could accept that, if nothing else. “They would accept you, Andri. You're true to what you do.” She reached up, patting his cheek and giving him a strained smile. “If you would prefer to leave, I will let you leave in peace. There will be no backlash, you will not be tracked down. There are witches that can place wards around your new home, if you are concerned.” Her voice broke, and she sat there in silence, staring at the forest floor.

"I don't know what to do, like I said. I'm lacking the necessary foresight to properly decide this in advance. However... I don't see anything that could put my current estimates about my future at fault. Of course, I could be wrong about this as well, given my lack of knowledge..."

It was terrible to see Liz in the state she currently was in. He slowly put his giant arm around her shoulders, but failed to truly smile at her. "So far I would never suspect anyone of the coven to be eager to track me down, except for a good reason."

Elizabeth fell against him, letting her tears fall down his resistant armor. Once her eyes had dried, she pulled herself away and spoke up. “We can discuss these matters later, I didn't come out to spend my night crying.” She sniffled, and fell back against the grass. It acted as a cool, slightly damp blanket.

Bob, who had been mostly silent during their entire discussion, crept over. He fell down on top of Elizabeth’s legs, surprisingly light for a being that could carry so much. His feathery underbelly was warm, and his light humming made Elizabeth smile. She twisted to stare at Andri, supporting her head with an elbow.

“Anything good about your stay at the castle? A beautiful girl, maybe? Did you have fun meeting Lenny for the first time? I've been debating whether or not I should give him back his truename, I think he's dedicated to his work.” Their previous conversation still weighed in her mind and spirit, but she hoped to ignore it.

Somewhat astonished he watched the demon place himself upon Elizabeth's legs and continuing his everlasting melody. Apparently, Bob was way better at cheering her up then he was. Andri felt sorry for pulling down her mood so much, despite the fact that his own one was nothing but honest.

"I've met a witch named Triss. She helped me." Should he tell the details ? How would Liz react and would Triss be okay with his decision to tell her if he did ? "It's not the first time my spirit has collapsed. Lenny is... impressive. And I'm not talking just about his size, but about his craftmanship. Never seen such before." A very big part of him was eager to touch Bob instead of just having sat on him, to find some gratifying distraction from his state. However, given how unhappy Bob had seemed to be about the latter thing, he was very hesitant, bending forward only very slowly. "His true name ? Isn't Lenny his name ?"

Bob stared at Andri’s hand, tempted to growl. Instead, he picked himself up and stretched out on both of their laps. It was an endearing gesture, one of trust. He didn't necessarily like Andri, but both the humans were upset and he figured he could share the love. “He better not take anything from this.” Bob squeaked. His voice humming against Liz’s lap.

Elizabeth smiled, scratching Bob’s gead. “Triss helped me out as well.” She acknowledged, wondering if there was a bigger story in Andri’s case. “Yes, Lenny is his truename. Once I give him his name, he is free. His craftsmanship is amazing, and I trust that he will continue working once he is freed.”

Triss helped her ? Now that raised an interesting question: Did Triss help Liz the same way she helped him and did Liz, in consequence, not tell him this detail for the very same reason he did not tell her about it ? It was tempting to break up this mutual interlock of some sort, but doing so could possibly put his relationship with the witch into jeopardy - and, if he was honest, he needed her. Yet Andri's deception wasn't entirely perfect, someone with a very good eye for body language in the face could see that there was more he could tell, but didn't tell.

Again, Bob was saying something he had no chance of understanding. It was something his curiosity couldn't stand any longer. "Would you like to translate me what Bob's saying ? I have the feeling that he dislikes me for some reason." He gently touched the creature and started stroking him, not being sure if Bob wouldn't suddenly catch his hand and bite him.

Elizabeth watched him, but she couldn't pick up on anything extra. If she wanted answers to sate her curiosity, she would just have to ask him personally. She could use Bob’s translation as a bribe, which was exactly what she would do. She grinned wickedly, a gesture Bob picked up on and coupled with a sickeningly high pitched laugh. Elizabeth was used to the noise, but she wasn't sure how it would effect Andri's ears.

“I'll tell you what Bob is saying, I'll even teach you his language. You, however, have to tell me just how Triss helped you. Do you have something going with her?” Elizabeth poked his side, grinning ear to ear.

Andri gnarled, yet it was playful and not meant serious.
She's got you! Trapped like a poor litte mouse! However her trap is not spring-loaded, so it won't break your neck. That you'll do by yourself if you don't get fed with what you desire, won't you ? Your job is about gathering information, but this time, you have to buy it.
Another gnarl, though this time it was mental, directed towards Khan and certainly not playful.
"You got me... I will tell you, but you have to promise me that you won't peddle around with this story." He made a brief pause. "She 'went' into my brain, the night after I got myself filled up with liquor to the brim. She... shifted emotions it seems. I felt way better after it and she offered to help me. Triss knows about my current instability." Now he really expected her to tell him everything what Bob had said so far.

Elizabeth smiled, it wasn't what she wanted to hear but it was what she asked for. “Interesting, and good to know. I won't peddle, there's no point in that.” She grinned, knowing that he wanted to get her translation on everything Bob had said so far...but that wasn't exactly what she had agreed to.

Bob chortled, burying his head in Liz’s chest. She knew he wanted to retort, but he would have to wait for a little while longer. “From here on out, I'll tell you what Bob is saying. We'll also conduct lessons until you get a good grasp on his speech.” She smirked, biting her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing.

The assasssin started to grin as well shortly after Liz's words had ended. There was some indiciation that she didn't want to tell him what he was eager to hear. However he had not yet any real idea on how to get her to tell him.
"Given that you stated that she helped you as well, am I correct with the assumption that she did the same thing to you ? And you could tell me what Bob has said so far. It can't be anything serious, can it ?" He batted his eyelashes.

Elizabeth let loose a string of giggles when Andri batted his eyelashes. The cutesy gesture was so strange on the giant, rugged man. “If by help you mean her coming in, messing with my mind a bit then leaving, yes we had the same procedure done. Something tells me that isn't what you mean.” She wiggled her eyebrows, trying to get a confession. “As far as what Bob said prior to our agreement, my lips are sealed. There is nothing you can do to pry it out of me!”

"So it is something serious ? Because otherwise there would be no point in hiding it, thereby making me just even more curious, would there ?" Then it came to his mind that, inadvertently or not, Liz might have provided him with a fallback. "Why do you think that this could not be what I really mean ? Is there something additional Triss and you did that makes you suppose that there was more between me and her ?" He would not confess anything until he really had to, not after his defeat with what Bob had been talking about. He returned the gesture of wiggling eyebrows.

Elizabeth feigned shock, pushing the situation with Bob away as something she could fall back on later. She was enjoying their small game of wit and sharp tongues, one she knew she could win. “Why, Andri, would you think such a thing? I got treatment from Triss on the same night as you, and after my short visit with her I spent the night with Lorelai.” Her eyes burned bright, she had her would-be victory on the tip of her tongue.

“Is there something additional you did with Triss, that would lead you to assume I did something additional with her? That is what I'm proposing, and from your defensive stance on the subject I believe it is true!” Elizabeth laughed haughtily, her body shaking with pride. ”Truly, you should just confess. I have won this game of ours, unless you have a substantial offer.” She cocked an eyebrow, waiting for him to spill. He had nothing that could squelch her intrigue, as far as she knew.

"So there was nothing additional ? Well... I'm seeing myself in an advantage here. I've had a really nice night together with her in my giant's bed. And yes, it was well below Khan standards, what I find to be a really good thing!" He tried to emphasize the positive side of his defeat with a grin, and that meant making sure Liz knew that he and Triss had apparently had more fun together than Liz and Triss.

"And now tell me why Bob appears to dislike me a bit. I could ask him himself later on, but you could tell me now. I'm asking myself if I've done something wrong."

“I'm sure that was all well and good, but I had an even better night with Lorelai. Who is, by the way, a Dragon. In my mind, that tops your night a million times over.” Elizabeth grinned, taking in her victory. The things Andri said would be kept private. She wouldn't spread stories of his private time around the castle, no matter how tempting it could be.

Bob looked up when addressed by Andri, tilting his head as he thought up an answer. “Tell him I don't hate him...but that he shouldn't push his luck with me. I usually never hang out around mortals, demonic infestations be damned. If he treats me nice, I could make an exception.” Bob flicked his head, ever prideful. “Starting with a belly rub.”

Elizabeth laughed as he flipped over, exposing his belly to Andri. “He doesn't hate you, and he says that if you treat him well enough he could accept you as a friend.” She took Andri's giant hand and led it down to the fluff of Bob’s belly. Andri would notice that beneath the thick layer of feathery fluff, was a paper thin layer of hide. Beneath that, he would feel Bob’s heart beating, in a fast paced rhythm that played like a drum.

"You know you make me feel like someone who can hardly achieve anything ?" He didn't express it in a serious way, but inside him, it was. Additionally, Liz's recent demonstration of power towards him, or no, her desire to demonstrate it towards him, had destroyed the 100 percent number of his certainty about her capability of handling her gains properly. He wasn't eager to tell, but it had started drilling in his mind like Khan did. He most likely would never be able to align entirely with his new surroundings.

He would have liked to say something to Bob directly, but he had to use Liz as a relay. "I want to ask him what he understands by 'treating him well'." Andri was afraid that the answer would be blunt and consist of a simple 'Don't come close to me ever again.' after this belly rub was over. He could feel Bob's heart, but aside from that he didn't dare to put any more but the slightest amount of pressure on his skin. It seemed so fragile.

Elizabeth paused, pursing her lips and staring at him. He didn't say it like it was anything serious, but the words made her sober. “I apologize for my approach.” She told him, not daring to press further. Her eyes drifted down towards his hand, which moved softly, like Bob was a fragile being. To show he was anything but, Elizabeth took a finger and jabbed it at Bob’s stomach, light enough that it wouldn't hurt him, but strong enough to prove her point.

Bob's hide held, acting like an elastic, taking her finger momentarily and bouncing it back with just as much force. Bob stared at Elizabeth, wondering briefly why she had poked him. “Tell him I used to be quite infamous on the streets of the pit, and my idea of good treatment is the same as any human's.”

Elizabeth continued to stare at Bob, even while she addressed Andri. “Bob and the others used to be in a street gang in the pits, quite a tough one too. Bob was treated with a fearful respect, and he wants a sort of respect from you. No reigns, or saddles. Basically, he prefers to be treated as a human, rather than a demonic horse.” She paused, smiling with half the excitement she had previously. “With some exceptions, such as belly rubs and scratches on the head.”

Momentarily, the hunter was shocked about how Liz punched into what one could expect to be Bob's more delicate parts. If he had tried this he possibly would not have any hand on that arm anymore he thought. "Street gang ? We could join together to build another one, because the street is one of the more probable possibilities I could end up in." Again, there was a pit between how he was saying things and how he felt about them. "Tell him I don't intend to ride him, because I can teleport and an ordinary horse can do the job for the remainder."

Bob flipped back onto his feet, lifting himself up and stretching with the crack of a hundred bones audibly popping. He stared at Andri, before opening his maw to speak. “He does know I can understand him, right? Anyways, I don't haunt mortal streets, and he couldn't last a day in the abyss. Also there's no way in hell he could ride a normal horse without breaking its back.”

Elizabeth folded her legs and buried her hands there. “He rides a shire, Bob.” She turned her attention to Andri, who was probably expecting a translation. “He said he doesn't work on mortal streets, and that you probably shouldn't travel to the abyss.” The thought of Andri on the streets was far too real a prospect, and she shook it out of her head as quickly as possible. “You won't end up on the streets either way, so don't make plans for it.”

"I'm afraid that going to the abyss or not is not my decision." He bit on his lips, knowing that he had just given Khan another idea of what to do with his host. "I don't make plans for this, but its something that could become reality." He turned back towards Bob who had started to stare at him. "He thinks of me as an animal tormentor, doesn't he ?" Liz's objecting words towards the demon were some sort of indication. "I can't understand him, but can he understand me ?"

“Well, if he rides ponies just to see them strain against his weight, then yes. Otherwise no, he's just too fat for most horses.” Bob creaked, prancing freely through the grass. ”I’d say I'm the perfect size for him, but I'd much rather have you be my rider. Beggars can't be choosers though, can we?”

Elizabeth shrugged, watching Bob prance about. “Yes, he can understand you. He understands human speech perfectly fine. As far as you being an animal tormentor, he doesn't think so, he just argues that you're too big for most horses.” She sighed, swiveling her head to look at Andri. “You can always use him as a steed for places you haven't yet explored...he lasts much longer than a normal horse. He can also defend himself.”

He slowly nodded towards Bob, though he was unsure if this had been the musical demon's own offer or Liz's. "I thank you." Then he got to his own feet, his spine demaning for another posture. "You two know that I was very afraid of me growing larger and larger when I was a boy ? It came in waves and there was no way to stop it - and since then I have the weak feeling that it could occur again at any time. It was a painful thing and I have to live with all the consequences, most of them being negative. At least it appears to be so for me."

Elizabeth stood as well, capsized in the presence of Andri. She figured he had problems growing so tall throughout his life, what with all the teasing and everyday difficulties he had faced. She doubted he would continue to grow, but she wondered just how much he feared it. “I see, I’m sure you won't continue growing though. Doesn't that stop when you reach a proper age?” She shrugged, coming leaves and bits of grass out of her long hair.

"It should. However in my case I wouldn't be sure about anything. After all, it could be some sort of hideous disease. I'm trying not to think about it." With himself wanting to cancel this topic, he tried to find another thing they could speak about. Preferably something more delightful. Luckily, there was one they had not really finished before, and though there was a very serious matter behind it, it also would mean that he would have the opportunity to spend more time with her. "As I'm sure you are aware of, my schedule is very packed and I'm sure yours is as well. But given that we both find a proper gap, would you really be willing to train me ? I'm a horribly oversized crab." He still wasn't convinced about using a whip. For him, it seemed just too unpredictable.

Elizabeth perked up, training Andri would be a ball. As horrible as it sounded, she wanted to have bloody sparring matches with him. A punch and a kick here and there wasn't very excited, but if she could train him to get level they could go at each other for hours. Coupling that with demonic possession and teleportation, and they would be great partners. “Of course, I'd love to train you. Soon enough we'll be going after each other with whips and swords.”

Andri's voice became a bit sheepish. "I would prefer a sword, or let an expert make the decision for me." His facial expression was like That doesn't exclude you. "But you know that this armor could become a lot tighter over the course of such an endeavour ?" Of course, he was aware that the guys from the military already had tried to make him useful, but the more that laid in the past, the more he got the feeling that they had been scrooges lacking creativity, unwilling to think outside the box they had gotten used to behind their desks. Yet still he absolutely wasn't convinced about himself.

Elizabeth chuckled, whips weren't meant for many. Her father -who was a great whip user- was rather lithe for a man. “Yes, I think you should stick to a sword. Or maybe you could use a bow, or even throwing knives. Or throwing stars, something precise, silent and long-ranged. As of now, you need to get up close and personal to your targets. Something that could horribly backfire if they outdo you in close quarter combat.” Her eyes twinkled. “We'll find something you're comfortable with. Ever thought of a bolas, maybe? I don't know… I'm not the expert.”

"I've already been using throwing knifes, but if the target wears some kind of armor, they lack the power. You can still choke most people wearing such things though, because one's throat is difficult to protect with purely rigid armor as would be required against a garotte." He started thinking, occasionally glancing over to Bob who was still around. "Doesn't Lenny have a whole vault of weapon's around him ? There must be something, even if we have to try out every single item in there." Which, given the size of this vault, could take a very considerable amount of time...

“He does, yes. It's full of unique weaponry. Some of it is decorative, overly so, but once we sample it I'll put your version of the weapon in on top priority.” Elizabeth brightened, a trip to Lenny was always fun. He always filled her with joy, usually because of his big booming laugh that filled the room. “While it's being crafted, we'll get to work on your form.”

"My form ? What do you have in mind ?"
Something was telling him that half the castle would get ample opportunities to stand, watch and snicker about him, at least at the beginning. Something else made him suppose that it would only be a matter of time until Khan would come up with a personal solution for mocking at him. And a third thought was about certainly having forgotten something important.

“Well, how do you stand when you're about to fight?” Elizabeth asked, fishing through her pockets for a ribbon. Once found, she began braiding her hair, watching Andri impishly. Once her hair was done and tied, she waited patiently for Andri to take up a stance. “Do you have balance problems?”

"Erm... pretty much the way you saw it when we were fighting that undead beast in that damn cathedral." Where he had acquired the worm... "I try to sneak upon my opponent from behind, get my garotte around his throat and then either just pull until he hits my torso and continue doing so until he's dead, or I stem my foot into his neck and hold my arms loose so my leg can act as the acting force. Aside from that, erm..." He stopped. There was just nothing more he could really say. He didn't have a stance for another type of weapon, except ones that didn't really require a complicated stance like throwing knifes. One could easily see in his face that he was noticeably embarrassed.

Elizabeth wanted to reach up and pinch his cheek, it was cute to see him embarrassed. “Yes, that's clear. I have a fair idea of your stance with a garotte. What I'd like to know is your stance when you're about to play fists.” She took up a quick stance, before easing herself and gesturing towards him. “Now you, do what you would if you were in a barfight.” She chuckled, staring past him at Bob and giving the demon cues with her eyes.

Andri blinked briefly. He got the feeling that Liz wanted to tell Bob something with her eyes, and after what he had experienced so far this night this could hardly be a good sign for him. Nevertheless, he did what he was asked to and changed his posture so that he was standing with his legs apart, one half a step in front of the other. His upper body was tilted forwards as if he was an old man, but he knew the only reason for him to do this was because otherwise he would hit nothing but the air above other people's heads. His hands were fists ready to strike and he was staring down at Liz.

Elizabeth watched Andri take his stance, hunched over like an old man. “Nice, except for the strain on your back. You could remove some of the stress by focusing on sweeping the legs and pinning someone. I'm not a qualified trainer, so that's just a thought.” She took a few mental notes, before looking around him at Bob. She nodded slightly, and Bob charged.

Bob made no noise, charging on Andri. He pointed his maw downwards, angling towards his knees. He relinquished a bit of the power, trying to match the force of a good punch. Elizabeth stood still, wondering what Andri would do.

If one had posessed the ability to see things in slow motion, one would have been able to spot how the assassin's eyes opened widely and his face adapted the expression of surprise and shock, then how he slammed his left foot into the ground in an attempt to move his huge frame out of the way, apparently not accelerating fast enough to cover the required distance in a short enough span of time, and finally him being consumed by an eerie rift in space that seemed to originate from inside his body. It spit him out again behind Bob, where he continued his sidewards fall, hitting the ground hard.
I've just saved your knee, you know ?!

Bob halted at a speed that would have been breakneck for someone with the proper tendons. He growled, turning and staring at Andri with his blank eyes. “Teleportation? How is that fair? All I wanted to do was get him on the ground.” He prepared to charge again, this time much more serious. He let out a hideous roar, showing off his mouth full of fangs. An oily liquid frothed out between his teeth, spilling onto the floor and emanating a putrid smell.

Elizabeth walked up to him, patting his hide. He stayed angry, but held fast for the time being. “Well, that's not what I would have done...but it works. I suppose you can work that into your fighting, since it is a part of you now. Good job Andri, as far as your normal reaction time...it was a little faulty.”

"That wasn't me... Khan did this on his own. For me it felt not like a reaction time too long but like a movement too slow." But who was he to correct someone ? He tried not to wrinke his nose because he thought that this could make Bob even more aggressive. That... spittle of him was just disgusting, as if the demon was in need of a really ugly counterpart for his beautiful music. He didn't ask for the translation, he could estimate it, given Bob's current appearance. "Something tells me that I'll disgrace myself once we've started training in the castle." The former hunter got up to his feet again.

Elizabeth took Bob’s head and began stroking it until his spittle had stopped dripping, and his snarls had ceased. He pressed his body against her, sitting awkwardly on his haunches. When raised this way, he was just taller than her. Elizabeth smiled up at Andri, nodding. “Yes, you're right.” Shex blushed, realizing she had yet to elaborate. “Not about making a fool of yourself, but your movements. You'll be fine, I can't take you out if I can't hit you.”

“Tell his demon to come out immediately, so I can trample it.” Bob snarled, still pressing against Liz. Elizabeth craned her neck and planted a kiss on his horn, shaking her head. “It doesn't work that way, Khan is… Different.”

"I'm feeling like teleportation in rapid succession will make me sick. And I won't be able to hit you with this method either." It was this moment that he remembered what Lorelai had told him: That there were six other worms somewhere out there, and it could be possible that there was something yet to be identified about him that attracted them. Andri tried to suppress that horrifying thought. "So should we start tomorrow with a visit to Lenny's vault ? And... what did Bob say ?"

“He was...asking about Khan.” Elizabeth laughed dismissively, wrapping an arm around Bob. “Meet me in my room tomorrow morning, would you? Then we can meet up with Lenny and get you a secondary weapon.” She smiled, Bob lowered on all fours, and she mounted him easily. “Do you need a ride, Andri, or do you have transport down?”

"As comfortable as teleporting might be, I'm not eager to give Khan the satisfaction of me asking him a favor. And..." The assassin started smiling. "...riding with you is much more enjoyable." With these words he carefully approached Bob, knowing the demon's opinion about him.

Bob allowed Andri to mount him, ignoring the man entirely. It wasn't Andri that angered him, but his demonic parasite. If it ever revealed itself, he would send it back to the abyss faster than it could ever teleport. Once they were both comfortable, he began walking at a meager lace, humming a hollow tune.

Elizabeth had reseated herself, so she could face Andri. She smiled at him, letting waves of exhaustion roll over her. “You're a great fighter, you know? I'm just getting used to being the big, bad general. Makes me awkward. Hanging out around demons doesn't help either.”

"To be honest... I've noticed that. But now I try to look at the matter the following way: You and I will have a lot to do together the next weeks, possibly months, or even much longer. This gives me a chance to warn you if I feel that things are going the wrong way. I'm a bad enough fighter for this training to require a long time. The thing I'm good at is roaming around unnoticed, but even if I manage to approach someone that way, I'm still depending om him not being able to just overpower me. And both the likelihood of being able to do this in the first place and then meeting someone who does not have this ability seem to have decreased, given my new circumstances."

He smiled back, feeling his long thighs touching her knees and exchanging warmth while Bob was carrying them.

“Yes, we'll definitely be sharing time together. I'll make a loudmouthed warrior of you yet.” Elizabeth winked, playfully punching him in the chest. “You may have to take that armor off when we train, I don't want to soil it with my weapons before you can even take it out into the field.” She smirked, renewing her depleted energy as they talked. She didn't appear to notice their physical contact, whether it be the wool coating on the inside of her trousers or her lack of concern, she couldn't say.

“Do you prefer blunted blades? I like to practice with real weaponry, it's more fun that way. Break a few bones here and there, spill a few drops of blood, all in the joy of a good spar.” Her eyes twinkled, but the statement made Bob laugh. “He doesn't heal like you, Lizzie. You can't have him dying. My body hiding days are long since past.”

"You would require one of the witches to patch me together. Do you really want to spend valuable resources on my training if they could help one of the solider witches ?" He responded to Liz's twinkle with smirking. "I think we should keep things as realistic as possible, but still I'd prefer blunt weapons to begin with. And who knows.. perhaps it will turn out that I'm the blunt warhammer guy anyway, though currently I could hardly imagine that."

“I've seen a warhammer in action, bludgeoning your enemy to death looks nice but you run out of energy far too soon.” Elizabeth giggled, poking Andri in the mouth to eliminate his smirk. “There's this healing witch, Elina. I wouldn't mind putting her to work on you. As far as your ego, you can always have Triss boost that for you!” She winked, smiling gayly.

"I'd prefer boosting my ego by success and not by making my mind dependend on some kind of medicine, however beautiful looking that medicine might be." With his smirk poked away by Liz, he now put on a ginger smile. "I'll leave that up to your decision. You're the general. Just don't cut off any of my limbs, okay ?" he gave in. "Speaking of which... how are things going ? Were there any reports yet ?"

Elizabeth shook her head, straightening herself. It was time to talk business, at least for a few minutes. “The green witches are doing fine work on the gardens, the food stock should be plentiful once properly sealed away. The soldier witches are well, prepping for battle almost constantly in the training grounds. We're managing traps, Medusa and I have that covered.” She pursed her lips like she had eaten something sour. “What I really want to know is how the others are doing, the ones that have gone away on trips. No letters, scrys, however they communicate in the witch world...nothing. I just need them to check in.”

He could see that Liz was worried. If he had been her, he would have done the same thing. However he wasn't. He could feel happy about not being exposed to the highly demanding job of being the general, let alone the fact that it was her lover and patroness that was on one of these 'road trips' as well. What an understating expression for what they were doing as far as he knew. Of course, Andri didn't mention this thought towards her, but he had to be honest. "I'm afraid I can't do much about that, or am I wrong ?"

Elizabeth shook her head. There wasn't anything he could do, he wasn't even able to go to the pits. She imagined Andri in hell, the thought was simply hilarious. She was sure he could manage physically, but the place was full of demons. His reaction towards her personal crew of demons spoke numbers as to how he would react in hell. “No, nothing you can do. Thanks for the offer though.”

Andri lowered his head, though he had expected exactly this answer. Bob crossed the gates of Castle Bloodrose and took them to the gardens, a cloudless sky full of stars above and fresh, cold air carrying a steady stream of chirping around them. The demon kneeled down so they could dismount easily. "Thanks for the ride, Bob." With Khan he would already be sleeping in his bed, but this had been so much better. "We have to repeat that sometimes. That is... if I can still walk after that workout you probably have in store for me." He smiled at her.

Elizabeth grinned, she stayed on Bob long enough to playfully punch Andri’s shoulder. “You'll make it, you have thick skin.” She dismounted from Bob, and gave Andri a small hug. Her arms weren't able to wrap around the man, so it was slightly awkward, but she found the sentiment in the embrace. “I'll see you tomorrow, probably have a demon escort you if you don't mind.” She mounted her demonic horse, and they rode off together, a strange sight that found its place in Castle Bloodrose.

Andri waved at Liz from behind until she was out of his sight, then lazily set out for his chamber. At so late an hour the hallways were calm, so he could get in and lock the door without being seen. It was the first time after a long and rather exhausting day that his lungs didn't have to fight the tightness of the armor anymore but could suck in air freely. The assassin stretched out on his enormous bed, but it took long for him to fall asleep: The next day seemed to have so much potential for surprise that it kept his mind busy even before it had started.

---

---

The night was calm - at least in that chamber of Castle Bloodrose that Andri could call his own. As in most of the times since his arrival, he had left the window open a fairly bit, enjoying the fresh air coming in. For an assassin an open window, even if it was multiple stories up in the air, was an invitation, but he didn't expect the hunters being so far already and since he had been a hunter himself not so long ago, he could tell that their ranks hardly featured any members of his own kind.

When he opened his eyes, he was hit by the beam of early morning light that he himself had allowed to intrude the room. Knowing his schedule today was almost as tight as this new, black acquisition of him, he got himself into it quickly after his hairs had made a pitstop in a bucket of clean, cold water. Not really caring about them still losing remains of it down his shoulders, he headed out for Lorelai's office. Liz wasn't one it was wise to keep waiting, not in these times.

Elizabeth sat waiting in her office. Her head was thrown back as she explained every gritty detail to Bo, on how he would handle things while she was absent. He understood it all, and while she was happy to have him around to take care of things, she was reluctant to leave her post. She had no idea how bad it could get. Some things were not appropriate to be handled by a demon, and she knew just how much Bo loved to use his claws when he was irritated. If it weren't Andri, she would have canceled.

“Lizzie? Andri…is here.” Beebop croaked, peeking his head into a door partially cracked. “Let him?” He asked, stretching his jaw with a sound louder than Bob cracking his neck.

“Yeah, Beebop, let him in.” Elizabeth responded with a smile, she could feel her body rejuvenate itself in preparation. She felt much better than when she was leaning over a bucket just moments ago.

Beebop nodded, looking down the hall at Andri. “You can come.” He told the giant, voice much less strained now that his jaw was popped. When Andri neared the door, Beebop clutched his arm and squeezed it, putting some of his might behind the motion. “Hurt her, I hurt you.” He snarled, a small guttural noise.

Andri didn't have the time to tell the demon that he did not intend to do such things, at least not without Liz's explicit approval. His arm disappeared out of Beebop's clutch and reappeared a few meters forward along with the rest of his body, in front of Liz's desk. Almost instinctively, Andri turned his head to have a look on Bob. He knew what he thought of Khan and his rather unique properties...
This pesky servant doesn't have the tools to hold me... the worm snarled mentally, but his host didn't respond to him. "Sorry..." Andri said in a low voice, unable to tell it both to Liz and Beebop simultaneously, since now they were in front and behind of him. And he didn't exactly approve such a welcome, rubbing his arm to overlay the pain with something else. "Hello Liz. I see you've started into the day even earlier than I have ?"

Bob stared at the teleportation trick, but his vacant eyes gave off no emotion. If ever given the chance, he would kill that worm. The less of his kind there were, the better. He was standing beside Elizabeth, still trying to secretly bite her belly. He knew there was a chance that it could kill the baby, but the damned thing was going to be so cute and he just wanted to nibble on it.

Elizabeth smiled at Andri, standing up from her chair. She noticed he was rubbing his arm, but didn't know how he had injured it. If she knew Beebop had done it, she would have made the demon write him an apology. Her stack of parchment had nearly diminished because of him. “Yeah, I've been getting up earlier. Morning sickness.” She said with a wink, wondering if he would understand what she was saying.

The assassin lacked the necessary context to correctly interpret Liz's statement about a 'morning sickness'. "I hope you didn't catch a cold yesterday." He replied, not knowing where she had gone to after Bob had dropped him off in the castle gardens. "Could you please remove me from Beebop's target list ? Or I'll have to talk to Lenny about something like hidden spikes that shoot outwards when someone bites onto their trigger, or just teleport in everytime now." He didn't sound disgruntled, but he didn't sound amused either.

Elizabeth's face fell when he didn't get her quip about morning sickness, it fell even further when she realized Beebop had threatened him. That was where his arm injury had come from, how pleasant. “Yeah, consider yourself off.” She said simply, waving it off with a hand. Beebop meant well, he really did. She just had to find a way to control his outbursts. She thought they were endearing and others thought they were downright abnormal. It was that way with all of her demons.

“To the training grounds, shall we?” She asked him, after telling her demons to stay put until she was back. She went around her desk, and moved towards him. “You know where it is, right? I want to try teleporting...it has to be better when I'm not fighting for my life.” She opened her arms to wrap them around him.

Liz didn't seem very pleased. Had he said something wrong, perhaps exaggerated his own position in this Beebop issue ? Or was it something else that was pulling her down ? He didn't know, and fearing that drilling into that topic could make things even worse, he decided to delay further action until he would, perhaps, have gotten more clues about it.
Khan ? You heard it.
You're keeping me busy, my little host. You know I want something in return somewhen ?
Teleportation went along in multiple stages. First, a rift to that strange, otherworldy dimension opened inside her bodies. It consumed them inside out at an extremely fast, yet finite speed. A part of them already was in that other world while the yet unaffected remainder was still here. The rift's expansion almost had the speed of nerves propagating pain because their bodies were cut into two pieces. An instant before the rift reached their heads, the signals reached them, resulting in excrutiating pain that disappeared that very instant later when they were back in one piece in... Whatever that was. It was completely dark and there seemed to be nothing around them. No matter, no light could be seen, not even gravity be felt. There was no time to catch anything else than an extremely brief glimpse of it before they had apparently reached the correct point for re-entry into the mortal plane, where the rift opened again. Rescued from it before their blood could start to boil because of the lack of air pressure, they now stood in the training hall.
"Please don't ask me what that is. Khan hasn't told me yet. And it doesn't seem that anyone would be able to survive in there."

Teleportation...was not fun. At least, the little being in her stomach didn't think so. Elizabeth doubled over, retching. There was hardly anything left in her stomach, but the bile that did manage to stay in her during her last bout now found it's own special place on the ground. Elizabeth cursed, cleansing her mouth with the handkerchief that sat in her pocket. The soldier-witches around them -that weren't in intense battles- stopped to glance at her, some snickering under their breath.

Elizabeth wanted to pounce on them, or say something sharp, but she didn't. Instead she straightened her posture and walked towards an empty platform. “Come along, Andri. Let's fight.”

"Is everything alright ?" What a question! Of course it wasn't! But that was the next stupidest thing Andri was able to word after having seen Liz puking onto the floor. He knew that Khan's teleportation was a very strange feeling, but he hadn't vomited after the first time and he had expected Liz to be at least as resilient as himself. The assassin stepped towards the platform. "You sure you wanna fight ? You seem to be seriously ill. Perhaps one of the witches can fix this." He looked around towards the witches staring at them to see if any of them had something to do with healing magic and would step forward. Those he saw snickering were hit by a glance that could tell something: Stop or I'll put my boot onto your neck and crush you!

“I'm fine, Andri. Don't worry about me.” Elizabeth begged, drawing his attention back to her. There were no healer witches present, they were all off collecting proper materials for their spells. Even if there were healers, Elizabeth would never let them work on her. She was stronger than the sadistic presence in her body. She was it's mother, and she would not let it take advantage of her. She would rather die than be bedridden. The sudden lurch of her stomach seemed to be the baby's response.

“Come on, attack me.” Elizabeth stated, taking a defensive stance. The soldier witches gathered around, wanting to see just how well their General could fight. Most wanted to see her stumble, and cheers for Andri erupted in small parts of the gathering crowd.

The last time she wanted you to attack her she was infested with a demon and knew where you were, remember ? She fooled you!
The last time I tried to attack her you knew everything and didn't tell me! And this isn't like last time! Andri turned his attention back to the other witches: "Stop cheering me, please!" It made him feel uncomfortable, but if he told them that they would probably do it even harder. Andri was very hesitant to launch an all out attack on Liz, not only because of her apparently impaired health, but also because he didn't want to get another fist into his belly. But... he had to do something. Anything! Finally, he made a decision and went for an attempt to hit her shoulder with a strike of his left fist, conducted out of a rather quick movement towards her.

Elizabeth saw the punch, but even her enhanced speed wasn't able to detect the full force of it. She took the blow to the shoulder, a small pop could be heard as the giant man swung his fist into her. He had plenty of power, but in the moments of her attack the pain had begun easing. She was built for this, her blood was pumping with the essence of the inferno. She darted to the left, aiming a strong sweep of her leg at the crook of his knee.

At least he had succeeded hitting the target, but Andri was a bit disappointed of the magnitude of the effect. But, after all, she was Lorelai's Dragon Knight. What did he expect ? Well... what he didn't expect was his knee collapsing because of being hit into its back. With one leg still standing straight he basically sent himself spiraling sideways onto the floor. Quickly getting up to his feet, it came to his mind that this kind of attack of his own would likely be of no further use. Now he approached her with seemingly having no attack in mind at all. In fact, that was the truth. He wanted to lure a reaction out of her first.

Elizabeth watched him fall, smile bright on her face. She looked at the others around her, seeing their surprise. Suddenly she understood how amazing it felt, to win. Of course she had known that before, but now it was something special. She wanted to be big because of something, not just because she was Lorelai’s Dragon Knight. She could use her new boons to her advantage, fighting could be her new passion, even with a baby.

When Andri got up, her excitement took over. He didn't seem like he was going to attack, but she sure as hell was. She crouched, sweeping out another foot to try for his ankle.

Knowing he would take another hit, her crouching in front of him was a welcome sight. She hit him, causing a significant amount of pain that made him moan. However, in the meantime, he had raised his own, other foot and slammed it down onto her back, retracting it immediately after the impact had taken place. He then bent forwards in an attempt to tackle her before she could do more damage to himself.

Elizabeth knew she had made contact, but as she completed her sweep she heard no thud on the ground behind her. She hadn't made him fall. She had to get up, she couldn't stay where she was. The realization of this came seconds before a boot slammed into her back. She yelped, the impact forcing her to the ground. She tucked in her arms to protect them, her face tilted to the side. It was a throbbing pain in her back, but her first instinct was to protect her stomach. She rolled to the side, but before she could get to her feet she was toppled upon.

She wished she hadn't been on her stomach, all of his weight was pressing down upon her. She drew up her knees, attempting to create enough space between them to move, to attack. Instinct shot her arms up, wrapping them around his neck as a distraction. It wasn't the best move but she was panicked, she wanted him off of her, if only for the baby. If only she had Beebop, she knew she could do it with him possessing her.

Andri's expertise with choking other people by various methods told him that it was very far from a good idea to ignore Liz's arms wrapping around his neck. What she - without his knowledge, of course - merely considered as being a distraction was a dangerous thing if one knew what to do now. For his own safety he had to assume just that and abort his current move. He grabbed her arms with his hands, trying to get his fingers between them and his skin so he had a good handle to try and pull them away.

Elizabeth knew she had struck a cord, he abandoned his previous move to direct his hands to his throat. She squeezed, a vice grip. She wasn't the best at suffocating, she found it morally wrong, but she had all but forgotten they were in the middle of training. The shouts and jeers around them faded away, a primal need kicking in instead. Finally his hands broke through the cracks, but it took plenty of time to do so. Elizabeth reared back a fist, aiming it at his throat.

Andri saw her fist taking aim and accelerating, but the time he broke his own hands free from their position between himself and Liz's arms, it was too late for effective countermeasures. The giant hobbled backwards, inspecting his throat with his fingertips while he was choking for several seconds. Did Liz knew how dangerous it could be to hit one's throat with a fist strike ? Anyway, he was the one who had come here to get trained. Liz's attack triggered the decision to drop the 'Mr. Nice Guy'-attitude - or what was left of it - for the rest of the fight. Right now, that suit was starting to annoy him. Sure, it was of a damn high quality and had incredible magic properties, but it wasn't fun to start sweating in it because one started to dive into extensive fighting that was highly atypical for an assassin who's primary intention it was to get jobs done fast and in silence.

The obvious solution ? Get it off. Trusting Liz that she would see what he was doing and not attack while he was busy he opened the fasteners and put the upper part of his armor down onto a nearby chair. His upper body featured quite a share of muscle, but for what he was doing here he would liked to have a bit more. Did he razor down his hairiness on a regular basis or had it just been the armor's tightness shearing off all of it ? Not the time to talk about such things now. He launched himself forwards with the intent of hitting Liz with as much momentum as he could get, putting her down to the floor in the best case.

When Andri backed off, Elizabeth did the smart thing and got up. She watched him peel down the upper half of his suit. With a shrug, she did the same. It was quite refreshing, the breeze hit her brassiere and set her nerves on fire. She hadn't realized how much sweating she had done, but it was obvious now because of the fine sheen covering her body. She tossed her shirt to the side, where it fell to the ground and no one bothered to pick it up. There were whoops and whistles from their crowd, as they looked over both Andri's, and Elizabeth's body.

Elizabeth had no time to smirk, an arrow of muscle was shooting towards her at full speed. She was faster, all she had to do was shift to the right. His attack whizzed past her, and as he was caught by the momentum, she threw a kick to his back.

Now he knew that his straightforward approach had been too daring, too full of anger and last but not least too simple to have any success against Liz. His only solace was the facial expression of the witch standing in his way. It went from amusement and hidden laughter about him to a Does this guy manage to stop before he hits me ? Andri did, but rather barely. One could see that his back hurt, but it wasn't yet bad enough so that he would have to abort training. A strange idea came to his mind... perhaps he could fool Liz into thinking he would be stupid, inexperienced or just infuriated enough to try the same thing twice. He accelerated towards her again, but this time he himself diverted to the left shortly before her and then jumping off in a manner that rotated his body into a more horizontal orientation while he was flying over the ground. The length Liz would have to dodge across now wasn't the width of his shoulders, but his height.

Elizabeth watched him lift up off the ground, moving towards her horizontally. She couldn't clear four feet in a single dash, and he was far too low to crouch beneath. So, instead of working around it, she planted her feet and raised a fist in preparation. Things moved in slow motion, his body was centimeters away from her hand. She pulled it back, and slammed it forwards. It hit him hard, but she could feel the bones as they snapped in her hand. Intense pain shot through her body and though the adrenaline numbed it, she coughed out a scream.

She could do nothing, he impacted her. She was forced to the ground in her moment of pain. Her right hand was useless, but as he mounted her she sent a flurry of fists towards his face. Her right hand was already injured, how much worse could it get?

Andri's method of stopping people from being able to dodge him had one flaw: It also meant that there was no chance that the body of the one to be hit could soften the inevitable impact across his entire body. Some parts of him just had to slam into the ground, and he had to decide if he wanted to use his hands to protect those areas or if he wanted to use them for defending himself against Liz's hammering fists. He opted for the former, saving his head from hitting the platform.

He could feel blood starting to seep into his stomach. Spatting some of it both on the ground and onto Liz's legs, he retreated backwards on all fours, trying to escape her onslaught. Doing so, he spotted her right hand: It seemed to have absorbed the brunt of his momentum in a rather self-destructive way. Andri became aware that it must have been one of his ribs that had made up the other side of this collission. Was it broken ? He didn't know, but even if not: It hurt so badly just by moving that he didn't want to know what happened when it took another hit. He stationed his left elbow in front of it as a means of protection, focusing Liz's still functioning left hand with his eyes.

Elizabeth picked herself up, letting out a snarl. Both of her hands were bruised, but her right hand was bloodied and something white popped out of her knuckle. The witches around them considered ending the battle, but no one stepped forwards to put a stop to it. Elizabeth watched him, he was protecting his ribcage. That's where she would have to strike, but he would never let her get that close. She needed him to give her an opening, not the other way around. She stood where she was, waiting for his attack. She squeezed her right hand squeezed, that was now dripping blood.

Andri slowly lifted himself back onto his feet, looking at Liz and breathing heavily. It made the pain even worse, so he kept his left arm in front of his rib and only used his right one to engage her with a series of fist strikes of his own. He also tried to place a few kicks on her thighs. Liz had already vomited this morning, hitting anywhere near her stomach certainly wouldn't help, so he tried to avoid her belly altogether.

Elizabeth's tactic was to avoid any hits to the stomach, but he didn't try to strike there. He was going easy on her to make sure she wasn't hurt, she wouldn't give him the same luxury. She took his blows with screams and gasps, one to the shoulder. A pop told her that left shoulder was dislocated, and it hung limp by her side. Another blow to the right elbow, something cracked but she could care less. She moved away before he could swing at her thighs.

Their brief moment of separation was enough for Liz to pop her arm back into place. The pain was extreme, but she relished in it. She didn't fear loss, she could heal from it. Her breaths were thin and quick, the pain in her hand had begun reducing but it was still prominent every time she moved. Her elbow was shifted in an odd angle, hanging motionless at her side. She knew too much more of this abuse would be her end, but she would stay this way for hours if it meant victory. She made a grab for the arm that was protecting his ribcage, attempting to break it by bending it the wrong way.

The giant released a scream of agony. It were these times when he really hated having such enormously long bones. It provided Liz with a lot of lever arm to apply torque onto the joint. He tried to hold tight for several seconds, but then the exhausted assassin gave way to the Dragon Knight's strength. His rib was sitting ducks and he knew what that meant. Liz didn't seem to intend to go soft with him and he wanted to make a last, at least not entirely humiliating stand. Andri used his still intact right arm to twist around hers. That imminent hit onto his rib would take him down, he was absolutely sure about it, but when he fell he wanted to take her already damaged right arm with him.

Elizabeth brought up her left arm, and punched him in the chest. It made a rough cracking noise, and she knew she had broken it. The grin on her face was malicious, as they fell together. The force of his body bringing down her right arm was enough to decimate it. Elizabeth let out a final raspy scream as the bone shot through her skin. She had won, but she didn't seem to comprehend that fact. She mounted him, weight digging into his ribs. She took her working fist and pounded it into his face. Her vision went red with rage. She wanted him to be ended, that was the only way to trul-

“Elizabeth get off of him!” Someone screamed, pulling the Dragon Knight off of Andri. It was a soldier-witch, who had finally stepped in.

Elizabeth wrenched her way out of the woman's arms, going back in to take Andri down. Another pair of arms grabbed her, and another, and another. She screamed her wrath, trying desperately to work her way out. They held her back, until she slowly returned to her normal state. She huffed, looking at the blood. Blood everywhere, chips of bone. Her arm, oh god her arm. She collapsed, falling onto her knees. Everything hurt, her body was broken. Where was Andri? “Andri?” She croaked, ignoring all the shocked faces.

"What the hell are you doing ?" He didn't scream at the witches. He screamed at Liz, appreciating that they kept her away from him. There it was again, that bad feeling about her power. "Is this rage a part of your Dragon Knight being as well ?" he shouted, blood streaming both out of his nose and his ears. "Get rid of it!" His voice made clear that he would hardly accept a no as an answer. He leaned back down flat onto the floor, hardly being able to breathe.

Elizabeth winced as Andri yelled at her. That had to have been the worst hit she had taken. How could she get rid of something that felt so good? She had enjoyed seeing him bloodied, but it was hard to admit that to herself. That rage was a part of her now. She whistled with the remnants of her hoarse voice. The witches backed off as Bo, Beebop, Bob, and Butch took their place. The saw Andri, but all four went to Liz first. Bo decided to tend to her himself, he knew she would heal, but he had to cautiously put all the bones back into place, otherwise they wouldn't set correctly.

Beebop looked pissed, even though his face was naturally gruff he looked even worse. He lifted a foot up over Andri's chest, prepared to stomp on him until the life faded out of him. He was pushed back by Butch, and the two wrestled each other for dominance over the situation.

Butch won, and he forced Beebop to heal Andri. The hulking demon but a chunk out of his arm, and reluctantly walked over to Andri. He held the arm over Andri's mouth, a downpour of blood streaming onto the giant's face. He cracked his jaw in preparation to speak. “Drink, so I can kill you myself.” His blood tasted marvelous, actually. Like something sweet with a hint of spice. It didn't match his figure at all, but that couldn't be judged. It would heal slower than Sousiel’s blood, but in the long run it would be just as effective.

From a mental point of view, Andri was pretty much done for. Stony he was gaping at Beebop, still being shocked by the demon having seemed to have put him back onto his killing list. He sealed his mouth against Beebop 's blood. How could somebody drink this ? He started to severely doubt that this entire idea had been such a good one after all. Than the first leak occured by accident and a bit of it found its way onto his tongue. He couldn't help but admire the way it tasted, but still every bit of his mind refused to actually start drinking it. He thought about healing by more conventional means. Weren't there witches around that could do this ? Did it really have to be a demon's blood ?
Don't be stupid! You have a demon in your head. Not only some magic representation, but a real infestation with a real physical being residing inside your brain! That blood won't hurt...

Elizabeth picked herself up, she had drained a large amount of blood from Bo’s arm to speed up her healing process. The skin her Bones had popped out of was already starting to mesh. Soon she would be able to move her right arm again, and it would be like nothing had happened...to her at least. She stood over Andri, eyes soft and jaw tightened. His was the look of regret, hers a mixture so diluted it could not be estimated. “Drink it, Andri. It'll make you feel better.”

Khan didn't wait for his host to finally make a decision on his own. The worm started zapping his brain until his mouth was convulsed in a wide open position, allowing every bit of the stream to flow right down his throat and leaving Andri no other choice but to swallow it out of reflex.
Ohhhh.. that feels sooo good...
The effects were almost immediate. The assassin could feel the pain give way to something much better. Groaning, he lifted his torso in an upward position and looked up to Liz. "Something tells me that I'll be someone else after a few months of this..." He tried to find out what Liz was thinking by looking at her, but didn't come to a conclusion.

Elizabeth smiled, sitting down next to him and burying her hands in crossed legs. “Drinking demon blood won't make you a new person. Or are you talking about the training?” She examined his chest, an inky purple blotch that was starting to slowly reduce. Feeling returned to her own elbow. It was a great sensation, but it also meant she could feel her bones stitch themselves together. “I'm sorry for what happened. Just...don't blame my Knighthood. It's not the problem.”

"I'm talking about the psychological effects of getting severly injured and then patched up again in rapid succession for a prolonged amount of time and of the physical effects. And... not your Knighthood ?" He squinted at her. "What is it then ?" He hoped that this would not be an inherent property of her person that he had not yet discovered... That would be... disappointing...

“Oh, yeah. Well, your mental health is up to Triss.” Elizabeth fumbled, rubbing her stomach to soothe herself. It hadn't suffered any injuries, so she was sure the baby was safe. What was she supposed to say? Now that she had infernal blood in her veins she was battle crazy? Would he blame that on Lorelai? She wanted to be honest with him. “It just makes me take things too far. I don't realize it,” she lied with surprising gusto. “Until it's too late, and people get hurt.”

Andri didn't really need words to tell her what he wanted to tell her. His stare at her basically said it all: Either you really don't realize it or you are lying to me. Both possibilities are a huge problem. However he didn't realize what his eyes were telling without him wanting to speak it. "As you can see I'm not that proficient at hurting people outside my normal scope of work. At least not now..." Given that any of his two different thoughs was true: Was he that different ? In fact, he was looking forward to becoming much more effective at this...

Elizabeth met his gaze, telling him the truth with a small flash in her eyes. She did know, she did enjoy it. Was it really so criminal? By the abyss, he was an assassin. He killed people for a living. What if she wanted that too? What if she did want to do it openly? Did that make it any worse? “You did pretty good, my arm's never been quite as mangled. I think we'll make good sparring partners, I don't know if anyone else would have made it with me.” She grinned, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

He was partly shocked by what she told him, partly relieved by the very fact she told him. "I'm worried because killing rage is something I'm totally unfamiliar with. And I don't want to be familiar with it. I have to keep things under total control. Everything else is unacceptable for me, do you understand ? There is hurting people and hurting people..." He coughed, spitting out bits of halfway coagulated blood. Minutes ago his broken rib would have made him scream for this, now it only hurt. "I'm a huge lot of a man. That was all that saved me from much earlier and complete destruction I think. No skill."

Elizabeth wanted to tell him bloodlust was fun, that if she had killed him she didn't know whether or not she would've been upset. She didn't though, because a large chunk of her swatted that away. The inferno was a part of her, but she was so much more than that. She was sure she didn't hate herself, but that was because she had seen demons in action before. Those very demons were the ones who cuddled with her each night. She wanted to be in that same balance, and of course there would be some that didn't understand. She wouldn't alienate Andri because he had a strong moral code. Her own had been stomped upon the night she faced Lady Nocticula.

Liz wiped his blood off of her cheek, wiping it off onto their platform. The thing was covered in blood and bone chips anyways, so it didn't matter much. “I understand, killing is killing. I'll keep it under control.” She didn't want to keep discussing it, it only meant she would have to lie more. Bringing up the newest light in her life was an obvious distraction. “I also wanted to tell you something else...you didn't catch my hint earlier.” She took his hand and guided it to her stomach. “I'm having a baby.”

Andri slightly blushed when Liz herself made his hand touch her belly. "You're kidding me ? Really ? Hell that's great!" He had to cough again. "Seems to have been a good idea not to hit you there. But... let me guess... it can't be any of the ordinary witches here, can it ? So... either one of the hunters while you were one yourself, or... Lorelai ? Somehow ?" He had no idea how, but something told him that it would be better not to entirely exclude this possibility. However there was a grin on his face that told Liz that he didn't take himself too serious about it.

Elizabeth laughed, but soon her eyes began to water with joy and she had to close her mouth lest the tears fall. “Yeah, it's Lorelai's.” She stated proudly, looking down at her stomach like it was an award. “I don't really know how to do...babies. And it fusses a lot in my belly, but I think I'm in love with it.” She cooed, hoping it hadn't died or gotten injured during their sparring match. Maybe it was immortal? “Lorelai doesn't know yet. I'm telling her when she comes back.”

"I could imagine her not being surprised at all. She's cunning." He himself was very far away from thoughts about children, although Khan did his worst to change that. "Wouldn't it be a shame if you were not in love with it ?" He smiled. "Seems I have to stay careful during training."

Elizabeth blushed. “Oh, yeah. It would. I'm just not good at this whole mother thing. It just happened, you know? Like magic.” She wiggled her fingers, laughing. “Don't you dare go easy on me, Axel is a strong little guy. He's been beating the shit out of my insides, so I wouldn't doubt him.” She challenged, patting her stomach lightly. If Andri went easy on her, their matches wouldn't be as fun. He would likely lose more, too, because she was not going to go easy on him. This was training, not play wrestling.

"Okay... I promise... I won't." Or at least he would try. "Axel ? You've decided to give your child a name without the other parent ?" He arched an eyebrow.

Elizabeth blushed furiously, tapping her stomach. “Well, yeah. No. I just don't think he wants to be called ‘it' all the time. I don't know if he is a he. I want him to be though, not many boys around here.” She smiled, staring down Andri’s chest. The bruise had receded amazingly well. “What do you think I should name him?”

"Hmm..." Andri started thinking. What could be an appropriate and creative name for a child that probably would have to do a lot with magic and dragons ? "You have already made a decision for the case it will be a boy. Alex sounds good. And... I'm afraid I'm the wrong person to ask for a name for a girl, but isn't Alexina the feminine form of Alex ?"

Alex sounded nice, and so did Alexina. She was pretty sure the female version of Alex was Alexis. That being said, there were plenty of different ways it could be configured. “That's a cute name. I don't know, Lorelai may want to name him after someone. Like a grandfather, or her mother. My father's name is Archibald. I don't think he would want to be named that.” She grinned. “So, other than babies, what's new? Have you checked in with Triss?”

Archibald... that was an interesting name, and a very rare one as well, but Liz seemed to have gone past that topic already. "No, not yet. I haven't had time today yet. I've come home late, you remember ?" He grinned. "And the first thing I did this morning was to fight you. I should pay her a visit, probably."

Elizabeth chuckled, a visit to Triss would be beneficial for him. Likely in more ways than one. “I remember, yes.” She confirmed, thinking about their delightful evening. They would have to do more things like that, if given the chance. “You should probably go visit her, while the day is still young. Night brings about business, for you at least.”

"And it will be more dangerous with every night..." Andri sighed. The hunters were approaching, they had to be. "So... before I go... when do you think would be a good time for the next training session ?"

Elizabeth tilted her head in consideration of the question. “Whenever you're ready for another round, meet me in my office. I'll clear some space for you in my ever busy schedule.” She exaggerated the last line by pressing a hand to her forehead, sighing miserably. Then, she laughed. She picked herself up, and walked away. Bo, Bob, Beebop, and Butch followed behind her.

_{in collaboration with @Shagranoz}



The carriage was nice and spacious, thanks to its enchantments. Saen had coiled up on one of the benches, lazily flicking her tongue in and out. "Alyssa, I'll admit to not knowing much about this coven we're going to. Any special customs or the like I should be aware of?"

Alyssa had been watching Saen's tongue in amusement. She was aware that the near constant flicking served a neccessary function, but the similarity to a lewd gesture favored by succubi was striking. She colored lightly when she realized she was being spoken to. "Uh... yes."

She smiled sheepishly. "Lorelai tells me they're... natural folk. Nature witches so to speak." She laughed, "More of a concern for me than you, their hatred of demons is nearly matched by their fascination with the... um, hybrid human races?" She offered, hoping not to offend.

"So, they'll worship the ground I slither on, but there's a chance they'll lash you to a cross?" Saen chuckled. "Well, you have no need to worry, Alyssa. I'll keep anything from happening to you." A quiet pensiveness came over Saen's face. "I'm sorry if this is too forward, but... I thought Lorelai was the last living Von'Strauss. How did you survive when Hector Digard struck?"

"I'll try to keep my blasphemies to myself, as much as it may pain me." Alyssa winked.

"My mother was on her pilgrammage to our family home in the abyss when... the purge began." Alyssa's face darkened as she spoke. No matter now much time would pass, sometimes she thought the rage would always be there, waiting. "She rushed back to try to see what could be saved, leaving me in the care of my familiar and the family servitors."

She paused a moment, gazing out the window as she strove to calm herself. "A couple year went by after that. The first word I ever heard of my family's demise was when they threw me out of our citadel, as the abyss saw no purpose in serving a dynasty with no strength."

"I -I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Saen's tail tip gently brushed against Alyssa's cheek, trying to keep her lover calm. She whispered, "I'll make it up to you when we stop for the night."

"If I say it's quite alright will I forfiet the make up?" Alyssa winked, her foul mood largely dispersed by Saen's timely interference. Her hand snatched the lamia's tail long enough to plant a small kiss on its tip. "Thanks."

"Tell me about you though, what of your family? I don't think I've heard you mention them with any specificity."

"No, my dear." A quick thrill raced through Saen as Alyssa kissed her.

"There really isn't much to tell, honestly. They were traders, wandering all over the place. They didn't have the gift, but they accepted me when I found out I did. About a decade ago, I left them to make my own way in the world. Found a place crewing a trade cog. They didn't figure out what I was, besides a lamia, but I did have a knack for for finding exactly how much someone was willing to pay."

"Three years ago, I came to Castle Bloodrose, and Medusa immediately put me in charge of artificing. I can't enchant something to save my life, but I had the contacts to get rare materials for the process. And that's my story, pretty much."

"Me'thinks you're leaving all the good bits out!" Alyssa put on a faux pout. "Tell me everything. Your darkest hour, brightest moment, and how many lovers I have to live up to." She winked.

"Hmm... Well, I didn't tell you why I left the ship. To be honest... she kind of stopped floating underneath us. I don't care how scary any demon you bound is, they aren't as frightening as a storm at sea." An involuntary shudder ran down Saen's long spine. "You can at least reason with the former. When the latter comes for you, all you can do is pray."

"I spent precious little time on ships fortunately," Alyssa laughed. "And I spent most of that below deck retching up my sorry attempts to eat, and that was a calm sea. I'll take demons every time, thank you."

"Still, life at sea must have been exciting." Alyssa mused. "Seeing the world and meeting new people. Why would you ever settle into a coven after that?"

"Like I said, the ship sank. I actually washed up not that far from Castle Bloodrose. Lived on my own for a few weeks, until one of the younger witches found me. She told me where the castle was, and after that... well, I told you the rest."

"Oh! I guess I can understand that then, why put your hand back into the fire and all that." Alyssa blinked several times, she couldn't even swim. Were it her the only thing that would have washed ashore would have been a long dead corpse "It... occurred to me that part of our trip will be by boat."

She smiled weakly. "It now a bad time to mention that I can't swim? Also that I've just discovered a lovely new phobia of boats and ships of all kinds?"

The lamia's warm laughter echoed through the carriage. "Don't be afraid. Most of our journey should be along the coast, and I'm certain there's some sort of charm to calm the winds and waves. Although in that case, we might have to row."

Alyssa rummaged through her bag for the book Lorelai had loaned her, in addition to her own. "Let's just say I'll feel better once I find that charm hmmm?"

Saen peered over Alyssa's shoulder as she looked through the various spells. "Interesting... Can't see a use for that... Might have to try that one out tonight... Aha! There you are! And it doesn't like like we need anything special for that, either."

Saen gently wrapped herself around Alyssa, letting her feel the lamia's warmth. "But let's not think about that right now. Let's just sit back and enjoy the travel."

---

Saen had been sleeping soundly when a small bump awoke her. At first, she thought Alyssa had tapped her, but as she looked around, she realized the demon summoner was on the other side of the carriage. Then, she glanced at the eggs in their imp skin blanket. They were cracked through, all three of them, and new fractures were started to appear as they rolled around.

The lamia was over the moon with joy. She just had to wake her lover up; this was too important an event for her to witness alone. She placed her hand on Alyssa's forehead and whispered in her mind. "Darling, you'd better wake up. Our eggs are hatching!"

Alyssa woke with a start. "Eggs! Huh? What!?" She bolted upright. Her eyes fell on their eggs. They were moving about, cracks forming in their shells. She was unsure in her barely concious state of whether or not to be horrified at the small fractures in the once perfect eggs, or elated because this was normal. She turned a wide eyed glance towards Saen, and from the joy and excitement on the lamia's face she elected to settle on the second.

"It's happening? It happening!" The excitement left her bouncing in her seat, leaning forward to examine the wondrous process. She turned a panicked look towards Saen. "Is there something I have to do? Do they need milk? Blood? Anything?"

"They don't need blood, but they'll need milk once they've hatched. Which reminds me- drink this." Saen pulled out a clear blue potion. "It's antivenom. They'll have their fangs grown in, and they won't know not to use them. They won't have enough venom to do much, but better safe then sorry."

The first egg was well on its way, and a chunk of shell fell off, revealing the child within for the first time. Unfortunately, all the two witches could see was a single golden eye. Still, more cracks were forming every second, and it was clear the child would be out in under a minute. "Don't help them out. It's something they need to do on their own. We have to be sure they're strong enough to survive. One of my siblings hatched early, and died as a result."

Alyssa immediately snatched back a hand that had been reaching out to do just that. "Do you have anything for 'new-mother panic'?" She laughed weakly as she drank the contents of the offered potion. She was elated, but once again aware of how staggeringly unequiped she was to tackle this new adventure. She stole a glance at Saen, maybe she'd just have to watch and learn.

"Do you make milk now? Should I figure out how to produce milk?" Alyssa asked her lover, her eyes fixated on the small golden eye peeking out from the ruins of its shell.

"No, I don't have anything for new mothers, and if I did, I'd be taking it too. I just know more about this than you do; you haven't been prepared for a child with scales." She couldn't help winking at Alyssa.

"I can make milk, and feeding them shouldn't be too much of a challenge. This is a small clutch; six or eight is the norm. That said, I wouldn't mind if you found a spell to help in this process. There's going to be times when I'm asleep or occupied, after all."

The first baby had made its way out of the shell, and Saen picked it up. It was a boy, and above the waist, he was indistinguishable from a human, but his legs were covered in argyle scales. "I know very few human names, Alyssa. Would you take the honor of naming him?"

"Really?" Alyssa's heart thudded as the infant's first cries filled the carriage. He was beautiful, to her anyway. Even the sight of the scales covering his lower half was endearing to her. She smiled weakly, reaching out to poke the newborn's nose. "I think William's a fine name, if that's alright."

"He's gorgeous... did we really do this?" Alyssa smiled brightly at Saen. "I never expected to feel like this... tell me its normal." She laughed.

Saen burst out laughing as Alyssa tweaked the child's nose. "William's an excellent name. And I gather you're just as happy and proud as I am, so yes, it's normal."

The other two eggs had hatched by this time, both girls with the same scale pattern. She picked them up and cradled them, one in each hand. "They're beautiful. They're ours. Gods, this is the best feeling I've ever had."

"Yeah, leagues above." Alyssa said reverantly, taking William into her arms. His warm weight was fragile, and impossibly precious. New life was every bit the miracle she'd heard it was, and more. "Seeds of a new life huh? We'll have to be better now. Braver too, we just earned a whole lot to lose if we fail."

"I think we'll name this one Samantha," Saen said, bouncing the child in her left hand slightly, "And the other one will be Jennifer." Saen placed Jennifer on the floor as Samantha let out a cute little burp. A quiet edge slipped into Saen's voice. "So we won't fail."

Two days later, Saen and Alyssa reached the coastline at a thriving port. Saen crawled out of the carriage, carrying the three precious bundles. "We'll need to get a ship, Alyssa, but we can't crew it ourselves. Either we hire a crew of humans, or you call up some demons to do the heavy lifting."

"A crew of demons is a little beyond me, unfortunately." Alyssa admited. "So we'll need a human crew."

She looked around the port. She hated humans, always had. They were good for little more than manual labor and reproduction. Seeing as she'd circumnavigated the latter use she was hoping to never need the former, and yet here she was. "Where to start... maybe we'll get lucky and find a ship heading in the right direction." She made her way from the carriage into the small city.

"The best bet is to find the harbormaster. All the ships have to file with him before they leave, so that they have records of the cargo. Unless they're smugglers, which honestly might be our best bet. More coin, but fewer questions."

The harbormaster's offices were in a large building right by the docks. The man himself was a grizzled old bastard, with a gray beard hanging down to his chest. He shook his head when Saen told him where they were going.

"Altmeri lands? Few enough head that way. Only ships we've got going there are the Red Duck and the Windsgrace. Honestly, neither one's in the best of shape, but they'll get there if the weather's calm. Back, that might be another story."

"Our trip is one way, for now." Alyssa visibly paled as her mind conjured images of rickety ships breaking apart in stormy seas. She turned to Saen. "You're the expert here, love, I'll defer to your wisdom. Just remember I can't swim, okay?"

Saen looked at the manifests of both ships. "The Windsgrace seems to be the better option for us. Point us to her."

The Windsgrace was a small, two-masted vessel, with an older woman for a Captain. She greeted the two witches with a neutral expression. "I'm Captain Emisse. A woman and a lamia," she said, with a hint of distaste upon the last word, "with three little ones. The fee for a passage will be twelve gold coins, and I'll expect you to lend a hand if it's needed. We also can't spare anyone to be a nursemaid; I'm short crewed as it is."

Saen could have talked Captain Emisse down a little bit, but the price was already reasonable. "Agreed," she responded. "Come along, Alyssa. We'll need to get ourselves situated."

Alyssa followed Saen onto the ship, not bothering to hide her glare at their new captain. Once they'd found themselves a small bunk, and claimed it with their belongings, she leaned it to whisper in her lover's ear. "Are lamias unpopular around these parts? Or is it just our captain?"

Saen shrugged. "I have no idea. Either way, we'd better keep from antagonizing her. Best we avoid getting thrown overboard." A thought came to Saen's mind. "Alyssa, this is going to sound bizarre, but... how good are you at tying knots?"

"I suppose that include hexing or otherwise making her life miserable, fair enough." She sighed nodding. "Tying knots? Sure, I'm well practised at that, I used to-... let's leave it at that. Why?"

Saen decided not to pry any deeper into Alyssa's past. "Usually, when a ship like this takes on paying passengers, they're expected to help tie down the sails and do other minor tasks. Passenger doesn't have to pay as much, and the ship captain gets to cut down on costs. Both sides win. If you're familiar with ropes, then I don't have to teach you."

The lamia slid outside, feeling the warm sun on her scales. Captain Emisse called out, "Cast off and give me full sail!" With that, the Windsgrace got under way.

Two days into the journey, and things had been fairly smooth. The winds were at their back and they had following seas, so the Windsgrace was making excellent time. Saen had come out on deck and was enjoying the beautiful weather. She turned to Alyssa. "Find your sea legs yet, or are you still struggling? I know it's not easy for landlubbers."

"I'm managing, mostly." Alyssa'd spent most of the first day below deck bemoaning her fate, between helping with the rigging, which had proven a miserable task to her churning stomach.

The second day had been much better. Their charm had ensured smooth sailing, and the witch had begun to get her stride. She'd also familiarized herself with her tasks, meaning Emisse spent far less time yelling at her. That was probably best for the both of them.

She grinned at Saen. "This landlubber's doing alright, and the weather is gorgeous." She looked out over the calm sea. "I can almost see where someone would want to make a career of this."

"I agree. That's why I did. Maybe one of these days, I can persuade Medusa to buy us a ship for the long term." Saen's eyes cast out across the water. "Say, what's that?" Looks like the biggest darn fish I've ever seen."

The mate in the crow's nest had seen it, too, and had a far better view. "Captain, person in distress in the water off to port amidships! It looks like... It's a mermaid!"

Everyone raced over to the port railing to get a better view. Normally, a person in the water would be considered the highest priority, but mermaids could obviously breathe water, so they were never in danger of drowning. So, why on earth was this one flailing about?

Alyssa approached the rail of the ship cautiously. She was as excited as everyone else about the prospect of seeing a mermaid. Their elusive race had little enough reason to involve themselves in the troubles of surface dwellers, and she'd never gotten the opportunity to see more than artist's depictions.

However, it was obvious that the creature wouldn't be drowning, meaning there was a predator beneath the waves somewhere. Or worse, it was a ploy, and things were about to get difficult quickly. She called her pacts to the front of her mind. "What do you make of this, dear?" She turned to Saen.

The water was slowly turning pink, and that told the story in full detail. If anyone needed further confirmation, the mermaid rolled onto her side, exposing to the air a large gash just below her right arm. Several of the sailors turned visibly pale. Blood in warm water was like a seeking stone to the ocean's most feared predator, and a triangular fin could be seen about thirty feet away, its owner patiently waiting.

"I think she's going to be lunch if we don't help her. Captain Emisse, what are you doing? Throw her a rope!"

"But it's bad luck to bring a mermaid aboard ship!"

There wasn't enough time for this. Forgoing all her cover, Saen grabbed the captain by her hand and steamrolled into her mind. "And it's bad ethics to let one die. Throw. Her. The. Damn. Rope."

A trembling Emisse threw the rope, and her aim wasn't that bad. The rope landed about ten feet away, and the mermaid slowly grabbed it. "Everyone, pull her up!"

Alyssa did her part, grabbing the rope and heaving with the rest of them. She cast a frantic gaze at Saen. The captain's sudden change of heart was suspicious, at least to her who knew what the lamia was capable of. She silently hoped her lover had the presence of mind to do something to prevent repurcussions, otherwise things were going to get complicated.

The mermaid was about four feet clear of the water when it happened. The shark charged faster than Saen would have dreamed possible and leapt straight out of the sea, taking deadly aim. Unfortunately for the beast, it was young, and its inexperience cost it dearly here. All the shark got was about an inch of tail.

The mermaid was hauled up on deck, but she wasn't out of trouble yet. The wound was bleeding profusely. If not treated, it would only be a matter of minutes before she passed out from shock, and soon after that... Saen pointed at two of the crew members. "You, and you. Give me your shirts, quickly."

The clothing was passed over, and Saen started tearing it into strips. "Somebody, put your hands on her wounds while I rip up some bandages."

Alyssa quickly moved to crouch at the mermaid's bottom. She applied pressure to the seeping wound, blood still leaking around her hand. "You don't have much time here, Saen. Not much longer and there won't be much to hold in." She debated whether or not she should pass a demon into the wounded woman. Something to lower her heart rate, or increase her vigor.

Ultimately Saen had already risked herself in saving this woman, what more damage could she do? Her insides rippled as a servitor flowed down her arm, and into the mermaid's tail. She smirked in satisfaction as the bleeding slowed, but they were far from out of danger.

The bandages were ready, and Saen started tying them on. It was a delicate, tricky little business. Too loose, and they wouldn't staunch the bleeding. Too tight, and her lungs wouldn't be able to breathe in, forcing them to run barrels of water over the gills. Ultimately, Saen managed to find the right balance, and though the mermaid fell uncouscious near the end, she was still breathing as the blood slowed and finally came to a stop about three minutes later.

"She needs bed rest, but she'll live. Get her into quarters."

Emisse glared at Saen and Alyssa. The mermaid might have been out of danger, but the witches' troubles were only beginning.

"Alright, back to work everyone!" The captain called out. "Except you two, you have some explaining to do don't you think?"

The men dispersed, returning to their tasks. Fortunately all the excitement had left them chatting amongst themselves, affording the two witches and their captain a small measure of privacy.

Alyssa returned the captains glare defiantly. 'This is where the killing starts. That, at least, I'm good at.' Her hand rested on her hip, just above the hilt of her blade.

"What do we need to explain? We saved someone's life, isn't that enough?" Sean reared up to her full height, baring her fangs just a little. Hopefully, she could bluff Emisse into backing down. The lamia was barely competent as a fighter; she didn't fancy her chances one-on-one, and even with Alyssa backing her up, it was still far from a sure thing.

"Listen here, you saved a life." Emisse spat over the side of the ship. "But you're still... odd."

"I feel you in my head again, or even think I do. I'll have the pair of you tossed over board with more holes in you than is probably necessary to kill a witch and her pet." She glared at the lamia. "For now, why don't the two of you head below deck, I'll figure the rest out later." She huffed and stormed towards her quarters.

Alyssa relaxed. She turned to Saen. "Maybe you don't risk our lives again? That would be great, thanks." She understood the impulse, but given the same situation Alyssa would have either figured out how to save the mermaid without blowing her cover, or let her die. "Come on, I've got to get ready to make a mess anyway." She turned and started towards the bunks.

Alyssa was right. Gods damn her a dozen times, but she was right. Saen slunk away behind the demon mistress, not daring to meet her gaze. She sighed as Alyssa opened the door to their bunks. "I know I shouldn't have done that, but I couldn't just let her die. I apologize, my dear."

Alyssa paused, and slipped a hand into one of the lamia's. "I forgive you, of course. What you did was admirable if reckless, and I can hardly fault you too much for a valorous heart." She flashed her lover a weak smile. "I'll see us through this, that's my job right?"

She laughed and lead them below deck. "That mermaid had better be grateful huh?"

Saen burst out laughing. "Alyssa, you don't know the half of it. It was several years ago, but the first mate of the ship I was on actually saved the life of a merman while we were in port. The merman got down on his knees and mentioned something about a 'savior's debt.' Near as I can tell, if you rescue a merfolk, they consider it a gift that can literally never be repaid, so they serve the person who helped them in return."

She grinned. "If she has any magic, and I'm not sure if she does or not, then the Bloodroses have picked up a new member."

Obviously, the mermaid had been the talk of the entire ship, so when she came to early the next morning, the whole crew turned out to meet her. She wasn't up for walking much yet, so she resigned herself to greeting a few wellwishers at a time. Thus, the process took a good long while. Alyssa and Saen were last in line, but there was good news to that as well. Namely, that they had plenty of time to talk to her.

"Hi," Alyssa greeted the woman as they approached her cot. "I'm Alyssa, and this heroic young lamia is Saen. She's mine, so don't get too creative with your 'gratitude'." She grinned, her eyes twinking with mischief.

The mermaid tried to smile, but grimaced. "I'm Blackfin." One look, and you could tell the name fit. Even though she was currently in her mostly human form, her skin was the color of dark charcoal. She had legs in this state, but her gills were still visible on her neck. "Apologies, but I'm still getting back to normal. It'll be a couple of days before I can really move about."

The mermaid's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "So, which one of you shoved that spirit inside me? I'm grateful for the help, but he's getting to be a pain in the arse. Mind taking him back?"

"I suppose so." Alyssa placed a hand on Blackfin's arm, drawing the vile creature back into her own flesh. She suppressed a shudder as it settled back into her limbs, but she'd been free of it for a day or so at least. "So, what leaves a mermaid stranded against a shark? Foul luck? Or something more interesting?"

"One part foul luck and many, many parts stupidity," Blackfin responded. "My family farm kelp beds, and I'd gone out to start the harvest early. Wasn't looking behind me, and the swordtooth caught me. I was so surprised, I dropped the knife I was using to cut the kelp. Got away, but he was between me and home, so all I could do is swim. Blasted things are persistent, I'll give them that."

"Fair enough, I've gotten into more than enough scrapes due to my unfortunate lack of eyes in the back of my head." Alyssa leaned against the wall. "I usually don't drop my knife though, belt helps with that I suppose. So, what's next for Miss Blackfin?"

"Depends on what you want, Miss Alyssa." Blackfin coughed a little bit. "You and Saen, you saved my life. There's a concept among my people, the 'savior's debt.' Basically, if you save someone's life they're beholden to you until such time as they repay you by saving yours. Whatever coven you belong to, consider me a part."

Saen's mouth turned up in a wry smile. "Oh, and what gifts do you have?"

At this, Blackfin's right hand transmuted itself into water, still retaining its shape. "I'm a hydromancer. and a pretty good one, too. I can control a pretty large amount of water, and transmute my entire body. At least, I could if I was feeling better."

Alyssa whistled in appreciation. "Self transmutation is a hell of a trick Blackfin. Impressive."

She turned to Saen. "What's the call, dear? We can either send her back to the castle, or have her tag along with us." She shrugged. "I'm largely ambivalent on the topic."

"Hmm..." Saen's hood closed up as she thought. "Don't know of any good teleporting spells, and I don't think she be up for that anyway. She can stay."

"I'd prefer to stay myself. To be honest, I've never talked to a drylander before today." Blackfin smirked. "And after you show me the surface world, I can show you my home. Deal?"

"We're all troublesome and a little insane, you'll tire of us soon enough." Alyssa laughed. "I hope that isn't an offer to drown me. It'd be easy enough, but I can't say I like the prospect."

"Alright, welcome aboard Blackfin, with any luck our buisness will be brief and uneventful." She gently patted the woman's shoulder. "Then we can all get back to that war thing that's brewing."

Well, this was an interesting development. Perhaps this debt would be paid back after all, and soon, too. "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what war? Is there trouble where you're from?"

"Always a little. Us surface dwellers count killing our fellows amongst our favorite passtimes. Especially witches." Alyssa smiled bitterly. "Our coven's been discovered. The predictable result is ensuing. Torches, pitchforks, hunters and all that. Going to be a bit of a party."

"We have that too, sometimes. Well, the torches are very rare..." Blackfin had a little chuckle at her own joke. "But I'll say that there are a few of us without magic that care about those with it. Would that things were the same here."

"We do too, but that's just not how it is." Alyssa turned to leave. "I'm going to get back to work. Once you're up and about we'll finish filling you in."

Saen waved goodbye to Blackfin. "I have duties to take care of as well. It was a pleasure meeting you, Blackfin, and I hope that we work well together."

---

The rest of the trip was largely uneventful. Alyssa and Saen spent most of their fortunately little time aboard the Windsgrace working under the suspicious eye of Captain Emisse, and sleeping in shifts against the inevitable attempt on their lives. Much to the demon-binder's surprised they arrived in the large port city intact, Emisse had proven true to her word.

Witches had little to fear in Altmeri lands. The small island chain was dominated by the Altmeri coven for which it was named. So the trio made their way inland towards the moutain that served as their base with little incident.

Griffons swarmed in the sky overhead as they made their approach, their cries a constant cacophany. Stone steps had been carved into the moutain before them, leading up to its peak in a winding and treacherous path.

Alyssa sighed. "Nature witches and their damn staircases. Why can't they ever just live in a castle? Or maybe make their lair a little easier to access?" She shook her head. "You're up Saen, you're the negotiator and all that. I'll just stay quiet and hope they don't eat me."

"Don't worry, they won't touch you." Saen paused for a brief second. "You taste terrible anyway." The lamia worked her way to the top step. Stairs were uncomfortable for her. Too many sharp corners digging into her scales.

She knocked twice on the gate guarding the Altmeri coven's paradise. "I am Saen, Emissary of the Bloodrose Coven! I come to speak with your matriarch!" Hopefully, she'd get a quick response.

"You come with company, sister." A man seemed to materialize from the stone of the mountain. He approached the gate from the other side. "Bloodrose is friendly to us, but few are. Name your companions and I'll allow you inside."

"Alyssa Von'Strauss and Blackfin, both members of the coven, with three little ones in tow."

Blackfin's gills fluttered a little bit. "Forgive us the intrusion, sir."

"The serpent can wait outside." He glared at Alyssa. "To be clear, that's the Von'Strauss, not you Saen."

The large gate creaked as it swung open. "Our matriarch is occupied at the moment, allow me to show you around while you wait."

"Where I go, Alyssa goes. This is not up for discussion. She is as much an emissary as I. She is to be treated as a honored guest."

As Saen spoke, Blackfin whispered to Alyssa, "You didn't put a curse on their village or something, did you?"

"Blame my sister, it's probably her fault." Alyssa whispered back. "She's basically Satan, can't wait to introduce you."

"...Very well, but our eyes are on her, Saen." The man was obviously not pleased, but yielded to Saen's demand. "I'll show you to the commons."

The Altmeri witches lived and worked inside spacious caverns carved near the mountain's top. The tunnels were lit with foxfire and faelights secured inside small glass spheres. The arrangements were simple, but comfortable; Tables were carved from stone as well as the chairs, cushions had been used to make the latter palatable. Decorations and murals lined the walls of each cavern, enlivening the otherwise dreary spaces effectively.

The trio spotted very few young witches. Most of the inhabitants here were old and experienced, working with strange contraptions and conceptual diagrams that indicated fearsome talents. They eyed the emissaries with interest as they passed, confidence gleaming in milky eyes.

Finally they came to the largest space yet. Cushions were strewn about the floor of the vaulted common area. Tables bore chess boards or similar amusements, and the air smelled of roasting meat. The light chatter of the gathered witches added a relaxing element to the cavern, as the women enjoyed their precious freetime with friends and collegues.

"Here you are." Their guide turned to Saen. "I'll return to collect you when the matriarch has finished her buisness."

The triplets, who up till now had been quiet, started mewling. Saen put Samantha and William to her breasts, letting them have a good meal. "You know, I think Samantha's powers might be kicking in already. I think I saw her moving a coin when we were aboard ship, though that might have been the tilt of the deck. What was the first spell you ever cast, Alyssa?"

"Binding my familiar, or my first one anyway. My grandmother walked me through it." Alyssa smiled at Samantha proudly. "Unless you count talking to 'shadows'. What was yours?"

"It's kind of funny, really. My birthday was coming up, and my mother had bought a new doll for me. Not some piece of cloth stuffed with straw, but real painted wood. It must have cost her a fortune. She must have just gotten back from hiding it, because when I accidentally brushed against her with my tail, I saw the box where she hid it in her mind. I went and got it when she went to sleep, but I forgot to put it back. The next day, they saw it out and asked me about it. That was how they, and I, learned I was a witch."

"My own mother had the gift... sort of." Blackfin chimed in. "She could talk to fish. Couldn't do anything else. So when I first made a current with my magic, everyone was shocked that I could do something like that."

"What was it like for you two?" Alyssa tilted her head quizzicaly. "My mother, and grandmother, going as far back as anyone cares to remember where demon-binders. So when I displayed the talent it was expected. I've alway wondered how other witches come into their own."

"My parents were stunned into silence when the truth came out. There was nothing in their experiences to help them deal with a daughter who could read minds. Fortunately, we lived in a place where a lot of old texts were stored, and there were some elders among the humans who at least knew what was going on to an extent. Did get a lot of shifty looks, though."

"It was easier for me." Blackfin commented. "Like I said, my mother had magic, so we knew I was going to have powers. I just turned out to be far more powerful than they expected."

"I'm starting to wonder if all those sacrifices were actually necessary." Alyssa looked between the pair. Her mouth opened a few times, closing before making a sound. "My mentors always said that we're drawn to the darker arts. Have either of you two crossed that line? Do you feel the pull?"

Blackfin shook her head. "Not really. It's not like I can call forth a tidal wave or anything truly destructive, and I've never found cause to use blood or other sacrifices. Elemental magic doesn't really need them."

Saen, however, had a much darker tale. "Of course. You can't go rooting around in someone's head without a little bit of darkness. A person's mind is their ultimate sanctuary, and to invade it... Not to mention how simple it would be to place a thought or desire that completely overwhelms them. So far, though, I've resisted that particular urge."

Alyssa nodded. "Just me then. Maybe that's why no one likes my family." She shrugged, smiling bitterly. "We'll just give the little ones your name, love. It's probably for the best."

"Alyssa, there's something I need you to understand. You are not your family. We will raise them as Von'Strausses, but we will raise them right." Saen's voice was as firm as steel. "We will teach them to master demons, but we will also teach them honor, respect, and other such things. We will make the name Von'Strauss a name that is beloved, not feared."

Alyssa smiled at Saen. "Perhaps you're right, I certainly won't argue with you." She turned her gaze towards Samantha, the likely new addition to her legacy. "You hear that Sammy? No blood sacrifices for you, a whole new chapter for us girlie, mommy says so."

"Well, maybe one or two." Saen couldn't help winking at Alyssa. "But we'll try not to make it a habit."

---

Two hours passed before their guide returned. He beckoned them through the sprawling tunnel complex. The slope of the ground underneath them indicated that they were ascending, so it came as little surprise when they reached a vast cavern near the mountain's peak. Griffons played and ate in the large aerie, several sizable nests lined the cavern walls.

The cavern opened into blue sky, and at its lip stood a woman. She was getting into middle age, grey lurking at the corners of her brown hair. Her weathered face broke into a soft smile as they approached. "Welcome sisters. Bloodrose has long been a friend of the Altmeri, what brings its scions to my roost?"

"We seek a firmer alliance, Matriarch. In particular, we request the use of your griffons to deliver supplies by air." Saen's voice carried throughout theaerie. "Hunters threaten us with war, and they have numbers enough to clamp down our supply lines. We need a way to get food and ritual elements into Castle Bloodrose despite this."

"Hmm..." She whistled and a hulking griffon stalked over to them. She ran her hand over its fur affectionately. "Obviously we're more than capable of that, but as friendly as we've been, nothings comes free. What does Bloodrose have to offer us?"

"It is true that we have little to offer... yet. But I have traveled far and wide, and come across stories of many relics. Perhaps if I could bring one of these to you, you would lend us the use of your griffons."

Saen could tell she had the Matriarch's attention. "Even the gods do not have the gift of true sight, save one. When the world was young, Odin sought this gift, so he walked for nine days and nights, until he reached the Well of Knowledge. Any who drink from the well shall see all, and know all... provided they provide the well's guardian a worthy offering in exchange. At first, Odin offered the life of Thor, his only son. But while the guardian said it was indeed worthy, it was not yet Thor's time. So Odin made a second offering; this time, one of his blue eyes. This offering was accepted, so Odin plucked out one of his eyes and drank from the well. That eye is still out there, still imbued with incredible power... and I shall retrieve it for you."

The witch's eyes widened. "That would be a fine gift." She considered the trio, appraising them. "I may be able to spare some soldiers as well, should your expedition return successful."

"That is more than we could hope for. We shall speak again when we return with the Eye."

As they turned to leave, Blackfin whispered to Saen, "Um... do you know where this eye is?"

"Sort of. I know it was being transported by a ship which sank, and I know the rough area where it sank. Find the ship, find the eye. Simple enough."

"... I'm going to need swimming lessons it seems." Alyssa groaned. "Nice play, Saen. The witches around here look tough, I'm sure they'll more than make it worth it."

"I have another option," Blackfin commented. "But if you and Saen are as close asyou say, she might not take kindly to it."

Saen's hood turned scarlet, the lamia equivalent of a blush. "I think I know what you're going on about, but if there's any tongue involved..."

"I love hearing things I don't take kindly to, good way to get the blood flowing." Alyssa grinned at Saen's expense. The lamia was cute while embarassed, and it wouldn't hurt to see how red her hood could get. "What do you have in mind?"

"A... um, kiss? It's not what it sounds like." By this point, Blackfin herself was starting to redden a little bit, and Saen had her head buried in her palms."A mermaid's kiss grants drywalkers the ability to breathe underwater. It's permanent, so we don't need to worry about it wearing off..."

"Ugh. Fine. Will a peck on the cheek do? I don't want you making any inroads on Alyssa, seawitch."

Alyssa looked between the two, delighted at this turn of events. "Well aren't you two a pair of maidens." She squeezed Saen's hand. "One kiss isn't going to get my heart wandering, dear."

She giggled. "Although, if your faces get any redder they might burn. Not the usual way I light fires in women, but perhaps more amusing." She turned to Blackfin. "Go ahead whenever you're ready."

As it turned out, a quick tap on the cheek was enough. Blackfin did Alyssa first, then Saen, with the latter glaring daggers at her the whole while. "And that's that. Saen, do you know where we're going to start looking?"

"Yes, and fortunately, it's not all that far." Saen voice dropped so low even Alyssa and Blackfin could barely hear it. "Honestly, don't know why these Altmeri idiots haven't pulled it up already."

The search site was about a day's sail from Altmeri lands. For what seemed like the millionth time, Saen checked her map. "Alright, this looks like the place. I think we'll have a better time if we scour the seabed directly." Sheslipped over the railing. Blackfin followed close behind, changing into her tail once she was in the water. "Come on in, Alyssa. The water's nice and warm."

"I'm sure it is." Alyssa eyed the water suspiciously. "Why couldn't it be a lake of fire? I'm good at lakes of fire."

She sighed and retrieved her spear from its position against the railing. "Alright, enough complaining from me." With one last breath she lept overboard, splashing into the calm blue with little grace.

Fortunately the water was indeed warm, and would have been pleasant had Alyssa not hated it so. Panic rose momentarily in her chest, before she realized that she was still breathing fine. She rose to the surface, and glared at her companions. "Yay, water, let's get this show on the road huh?"

Blackfin took the lead diving downwards. The bottom was about sixty feet down, sandy, and flatter than a pancake. A long ridge rose in the distance, seemingly stretching off to the horizon. A wreck lay near it, her mast still standing tall. Saen gulped a little bit. "It seems like my navigation skills are a little rusty. We have some swimming to do."

"Anyone think this whole process has been too easy?" Alyssa followed her companions, her grip on her spear tightening. "Keep your eyes peeled girls, there's a reason this hasn't been claimed yet."

The ship had been somewhat damaged by the forces of nature, a hole ripped in the bottom of her hull. "It should be in a small, dark wood box somewhere in the hold. Let's get to searching."

It was Blackfin who found the target first. She opened the box to see a beautiful blue eyeball staring back at her. "Well, this isn't creepy at all." She swam up towards the surface with her loot.

"Maybe just a little." Alyssa grinned, and turned to make her own way back to fresh air. "All in all, rather une-"

Behind her the 'ridge' opened its eye. A brillant serpintine pupil nearly the size of the witch gazed at the trio as the titanic serpent shook off decades of sediment, staining the waters with black murk. It head lunged at Blackfin, cutting off the murmaid's escape.

"Robbers, come to claim the eye?" The serpent coiled around the witches, its mountainous scales trapping them. "Explain yourselves, or join these sailors."

For the second time in less than a week, Blackfin managed to dodge snapping jaws. But this time, escape wasn't a simple matter of climbing onto a ship. Her jaw dropped as she realized just what she was facing."Jormundgandr," the mermaid said in an awed tone. "I thought you were a story told to scare fry into being good children."

"No such luck, little one. I was hunting the crushing depths before your people invented language." The serpent brought one of its eyes near Blackfin. "What brings a child of the sea, with two land witches in tow, to steal the Eye of Odin? Your prescence has stayed me wrath, for now, speak quickly before I tire."

Alyssa examined her options. Escape didn't seem likely, even if they somehow made it to the ship the beast could simple crush it. Fighting was probably more likely, although by very little, if she could get to an eye she thought she might be able to inflict some damage. Diplomacy then was their best hope, the creature seemed plenty intelligent, perhaps Saen or Blackfin could talk some sense into it.

She certainly couldn't, but she'd make a fine offering to Dagon if things started to go bad. 'Selling ourselves for power, such a fine legacy,' She thought to herself as she prepared the offering.

To lie, or not to lie? That was the question, and for Saen, the answer was simple. "We did not come to simply take it for ourselves, but to make a gift of it to another coven, in exchange for their aid in our time of need. We do not wish to cause insult to you, great Jormundgandr." Hopefully, that would work. Even the greatest demon Alyssa could conjure would be hard-pressed to scratch the serpent's armor, and with its coils already encircling them, there was nowhere left to run.

"The Eye is dangerous, Saen, more so than you understand." The beast seemed to consider something for a moment. "I've slept for a long time, what transpires on the surface? What drives you to this?"

"Madness," Blackfin commented, before Saen gave her a swift elbow in the ribs. "Witch hunters march on our coven, and we seek all the friends we can gather. As I said before, we are going to offer the Eye to the Altmeri Coven, in exchange for their griffins and soldiers. We do not seek a fight, only to go our way."

"So the folley of man continues..." The serpent fell silent for several minutes. Finally its coils released them as it turned back towards the wreckage. "I've guarded the Eye long enough. If it brings ruin on you, so be it. Best of luck Blackfin. Madness is all that awaits you in the affairs of the surface."

Saen let out a deep breath. "That settles it. I'm done with the ocean for the rest of my life." She turned and headed back for the ship. Blackfin followed, not daring to make any snide comments. They had come far too close to death for that.

Alyssa followed suit, trailing behind the pair. "I don't know, I was just starting to like it too." She laughed away her stress and fear. They'd survived, somehow, and with the Eye in tow. At least she'd have a good story for Lorelai when they returned.

---

It was just after sunset when the trio's little boat came back into the Altmeri's harbor. Apparently, some lookout had spotted them coming in, so many Altmeri had turned out, including the matriarch. Saen proudly showed off their new acquisition, commenting, "You know, you could have told us that this thing was guarded by a giant sea serpent. We almost ended up as a light snack!"

"With all your confidence I assumed you knew." The matriarch barked out a laugh. "I'm pleased to see you didn't, and more pleased to see that you've returned with the Eye."

Saen dutifully gave the matriarch the Eye. "We have held our end of the bargain; now it is time for you to do the same. We request the use of a squadron of griffons, as well as any soldiers you can spare."

"Yes, yes, of couse." She waved her hand dismissively as she examined her prize. "You've earned that, as well as a measure of good faith amongst the Altmeri."

She smiled at the trio. "If Bloodrose doesn't work out, two of you will have a home here. The Von'Strauss will have to go back to hell, or whever they come from." She laughed. "We'll see you arrive home safely, the Altmeri thank you for your service."

Alyssa rolled her eyes. The fear that came with her name was sometimes useful, but she was starting to get tired of the hatred. Perhaps someday that would change, but for now she bit her tongue and looked forward to being away from so many evil gazes.

Blackfin, Saen, and Alyssa made their way up to the griffon roost. The beasts were still up and about, pacing about their lair. "Saen, you ever ridden a griffin before?"

"No, and I highly doubt you have. I don't even know where to start." She looked at the griffons with apprehension. "Um, do they have saddles or something?"

"How hard can it be?" Alyssa approched one of the beasts, stoking its mane affectionatly. "What's the worse that can happen?"

"You fall off, and die." A woman approached them. "And no, they don't have saddles. Are you three the ones I'm supposed to get home?"

"Yes, we are." Blackfin looked at the woman. "I assume you are going to be our driver. And don't worry about strapping Saen in; Alyssa and I can wrap her around us like a giant scarf."

Saen thought about muttering some hexes under her breath, but decided against it. However, she didn't take the joking lying down. "Do that, and I squeeze."

"So long as you squeeze gently, love, you know how fragile I am." Alyssa winked. "Alright, so how does this work."

The witch smirked at the trio, evidently amused by their banter. "Seeing as none of you have any experience flying I'll stick you in the carriage. Much less fun, but also markedly less likely to kill you."

She turned to a large, wheeless carriage. Runes were scrawled over its surface, glowing a dull blue. "This is a sky carriage. Enchanted to be weightless when active, this is how we've managed to become a trading hub in this archipelago."

She placed a hand on its side and whispered a few command words. The runes bursted into a brillant blue for a moment, and the carriage lifted a few inches off of the ground. "See? Hop in ladies, and enjoy the ride."

Saen and Blackfin crawled into the carriage. Saen, utterly exhausted from the day's events, took her children in tow and promptly passed out on one of the benches. Blackfin, meanwhile, curled up in a corner and just watched the world go by.

Alyssa took her seat next to Saen, grinning when the woman passed out. It had been a long day, but she wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to see the world from the sky.

"Ever think you'd be in a sky carriage with land dwellers, on the way to their coven to participate in a war with hunters?" She whispered to Blackfin, trying not to wake Saen.

"No, never. When you put it like that, it sounds stark raving mad." Blackfin smiled. "Did you ever think you'd make friends with a mermaid?"

Meanwhile, Saen softly began snoring in the background, oblivious to it all.

Alyssa suppressed a giggle as Saen started snoring. "Not at all, but life's surprising me all the time these days." She sighed. "Makes you wonder what's next doesn't it?"

"Have you ever had a moment, Blackfin, when something your elders told you, that you thought was stupid, suddenly made a great deal of sense?" Alyssa asked. "And you realize that they're right. And of course they're right, they're your elders after all, they've been there."

"I used to think that the elders of Atlantis were idiots, but now that I'm older... I still think that they're idiots." Blackfin chuckled a little bit at her own joke. "Why, has something finally fallen into place for you?"

"My sister always says that you get enough power to claim and keep what's important. No more, no less." Alyssa returned her attention to the window. "This whole trip has shown me just how weak I can be, and I've got more to lose now than ever. Maybe I'll take her up on her offer of tutorship."

She grinned sheepishly. "Look at me, fatigue has left me a rambling mess. Perhaps I should leave introspection for later, when I've rested."

"I've found that one can only make a good decision on a full stomach and a good night's sleep. For now, I suggest we simply sit back and enjoy the view. Though I'll admit, I can;t wait to see Castle Bloodrose with my own eyes."

"It's really lovely." Alyssa smiled. "And I think you'll enjoy the company. We've got some of the most renown witches in the world, some of the best collected lore, and the Glow wood, which is amazing."

"If she's returned I'll introduce you to my sister and her girls." She grinned. "The former is a terrible, blackhearted woman, and the latter are cute enough to make you forget the former entirely."

"Well, I'd imagine your sister would have to be a walking nightmare to wield the powers she does." Blackfin blinked. "But if her offspring are as adorable as you claim... Strange how far from their parents the young ones swim."

"One can only hope, right?" Alyssa smiled. She settled back into her bench seat, leaning lightly against Saen. "But you'll see it all for yourself soon enough. I'm going to rest while I have the opportunity."

It was several hours before a large, grey stone building came into view below them. Blackfin's eyes widened. "Is that Castle Bloodrose? I didn't know you had such big buildings on the surface!"

"Yes, that's home sweet home." Saen stirred on the carriage bench. "If you think the outside is impressive, just wait until you see what we've done to the interior."

"Seems like our sisters have been making good use of their time." Alyssa mused as the shapes of her covenmates finally became discernable.

All of the training yard's were full to the brim with witches honing their skills. Swordplay was practised alongside kinetic witches hurling flames, lightning, or other lethal elements. Summoners worked in private corners, instilling a warrior's discipline in their menageries. The gardens flashed in hues of emerald and orange as nature witches wove spells to promote growth and hasten harvest.

Everyone moved with an eerie efficiency, but what caught Alyssa's eye were the tents. Large tents had been errected in the courtyard, and bloodied witches limped about their exteriors. "Seems like we missed some of the fun." Alyssa pointed out the wounded.

"Indeed. Doesn't look like there are many injured, though. That could mean one of two things. Either the attack was repulsed easily..." Saen's voice darkened. "Or they isolated a group and executed most of them."

"Let's hope it's the former." Blackfin hopped out of the carriage the second it landed. "Saen, take the kids. We need to find Medusa and tell her of our success."

"And report to my sister or Elizabeth for our next assignment." Alyssa sighed as she stepped down from the carriage.

Medusa was easy to find. The trio came upon her quickly, as news of a sky carriage had carried through the castle swiftly. She strode down the main stairs to the castle proper as they approached.

"Saen, Alyssa, I trust you were successful," Medusa smiled at them, relief plain in her features. "Judging by the panache of your return."

She extended a hand towards Blackfin. "And you've brought company I see. I'm Medusa."

"Blackfin of Atlantis, Madame Medusa. At your beck and call." The mermaid curtsied delicately. Evidently, she knew something of human social customs. "Yes, we managed to secure griffons for the possibility of a siege. Though the way your greenspeakers are working, food should not be that much of a problem."

"Food isn't the only thing witches need for war, but yes, with any luck we'll not starve." Medusa smiled proudly. "Well met Blackfin, I trust you're joining us formally?"

"Indeed I am." Blackfin's eyes sparkled with mirth. "Perhaps I can teach your witches a few things about water magic, and I can learn from them as well."

Saen shifted off her coils. "As you can see, Medusa, there was more good news. Two witches and a warlock, to add to our ranks down the road. Meet William, Samantha, and Jennifer."

Jennifer let out a little burp, which only added to her cuteness. "I think I'll put the little ones to bed, now." She made her way up the stairs to the main section of the castle.

"Well, aren't they cute?" Medusa grinned down at the trio. She turned to Saen as she made her way up the steps. "Congratulations, and who's the proud father? I'll need to get him a cigar."

"That would be me, ma'am." Alyssa smirked. She called to Saen. "I need to check in with Lorelai, I'll check in tonight if we don't see each other before then."

She strolled off towards the rear gardens, leaving Medusa blinking at Blackfin. "Von'Strausses and their oddness." She winked at the mermaid. "I imagine you'll want to meet our current matriarch as well. Come visit me when you get the chance, I'd love to hear about Atlantis."

"Indeed I would. And don't worry, Madame Medusa." A grin came over Blackfin's face. "One day, I'll show it to you. We get few enough visitors from the surface, and witches fewer still."

Medusa waved farewell and made her way back into castle as Alyssa lead Blackfin towards the rear garden. The garden was one of the few that had retained its previous function, being a lovely place to relax. Morale was an oft overlooked aspect of war.

"Lorelai? We've returned." Alyssa addressed her sister, who was putting a new servitor though its paces. "How was your expedition?"

Lorelai turned to the pair and smiled. "Good to see you home safe." She kissed Alyssa's cheek. "My trip was largely uneventful, the Plague Lord owes me fealty. I did manage to corrupt and tame an angel, that was fun."

She turned to Blackfin. "A face I don't recognize! I'm Lorelai Von'Strauss." She extended a hand in greeting.

"Blackfin of Atlantis, Madame Von'Strauss, and the pleasure is mine." The mermaid's eyes went wide as Lorelai described her latest exploit. "What... How on earth did you manage such a feat? Twisting an angel... I don't even want to guess how difficult it is to pervent one of God's own servants."

"The specifics are a trade secret." Lorelai winked. "But suffice to say it's not as difficult as one might think. It just requires a certain scorn for 'contemporary morality'."

"Serrus! Come show off your wings." The blonde angel shuffled obediantly to her new mistress' side, and stretched her once radiant wings. Veins of sickly black corruption marred her golden feathers.

Lorelai smiled proudly. "Very good, back to your paces."

"Yes mistress." The angel bowed, and did as she was commanded.

Lorelai returned her attention to Blackfin. "I've never met a mermaid in the flesh. You'll have to tell me some stories of your people when and if we get the time."

"And you'll have to tell me some of your stories as well." Blackfin curtsied and went on her way.

_{in collaboration with @SunsetRoses and @Shagranoz}



“Wake up, Scion.” Ettien called lazily, leaning against Triss’ desk. In his hands he twirled a note from Sousiel, the demon who had been rather animalistic towards him yesterday. He despised that savage, but Triss seemed to have some idiotic attraction towards her. It wasn't his place to interfere, but he would give wise words to Triss, just as he had with Ysera in terms of Alice.

Ettien’s words broke through the haze in Triss’ mind. The first thing she did was search her bed for Sousiel, but the demon was no where to be found. Triss pulled herself up, not bothering to cover her upper half. She stared at Ettien with a tilted head, almost daring him to be perverse. “Hand me my skirt, would you?” She asked, pointing at the writhing vines on the floor.

Ettien grinned, his eyes only falling once on Triss’ breasts before he swept down to pick up her skirt. He tossed it to her, alongside the note from her lover. “Sousiel left that, for you.” He mumbled, sitting down on the bed and placing his chin in his hand.

Triss slid on her skirt under the covers, before snatching up the note Sousiel had left. It warmed her heart, and she stared at it for a long time before setting it down on her nightstand. She was surprised Ettien hadn't torn it apart, she was also surprised he hadn't started kissing her yet. “Are you cowering because you're afraid of Sousiel?” She asked, giggling at the thought.

Ettien laughed, a booming and melodic noise. “Of course not, Triss. I just respect you, but we mustn't let them know, it would ruin all my fun.” He winked, helping her out of bed with a steady hand.

Triss looked quite flabbergasted by this prospect, and she didn't grace him with an answer. Instead, she slid on her knapsack full of mystical toyrs and walked out the door, heading towards Medusa’s office. She had plenty to tell Ms. Bloodrose, and the sooner she did the sooner it was off her chest and passed on to another.

Ettien followed, with a pop he became a snake and slithered after her. “It would be great if you just carried me, you know that?” He told her, voice ringing with mischief.

Triss stayed silent, but when they arrived at Medusa’s door she snatched up Ettien and let him do as he pleased. He began writhing around her body, just like the vines that made up her shirt. Out of respect, he gave a wide berth to her breasts, only using them as a resting place when he couldn't move any longer. Triss entered Medusa's office, surprised to see Phagora there. Her eyes narrowed, singling out Phagora. She needed to leave, the situation had to be controlled and anyone outside of Medusa and Lorelai were not allowed to know.

“Medusa, might I talk to you? Alone?” She asked politely, inching towards a seat.

"Triss, how was your trip?" Medusa smiled up from her tea. Phagora had been running errands for her recently, likely in some misguided attempt to shield herself from Lorelai's wrath.

She'd be polite, kind even, but what Lorelai decided would come to pass. She'd given up too much for peace to anger the woman now. "Please, take a seat. Phagora's been helping me lately, so whatever news you have I'm sure you can share in front of her."

Phagora had been trying desperately to ingratiate herself to whatever part of the coven's leadership she could. Elizabeth's promise to keep her alive had been a good start, but there was still the threat of maiming, torture, and other fun activities. She glanced at Triss as she entered the room. "Come on in, Triss. I swear to you, I won't bite."

Triss shook her head, taking a seat. Ettien slithered off of her, curling up on an empty spot of Medusa's desk. He stared up at Phagora, mouth open with fangs dripping venom. Triss flicked him, and he relaxed himself. She pursed her lips, and after a few moments of silence she decided to speak up. “The trip was fine, Medusa. I had plenty of fun, there were a lot of new discoveries.” Her voice was tense, and she wondered if she should just leave and try again at a later time.

"I see Sousiel didn't end up killing you, I'm pleasantly surprised." Medusa arched at eyebrow at Triss. The witch wouldn't have asked for a meeting alone to gossip about her expedition, and the tension in the girl hinted at something noteworthy. Or at least something Triss thought was noteworthy.

"Now Triss, it's painfully obvious that you have something to say." Medusa sighed. "So, why don't you just say it and be done? If it's of bearing to the coven Phagora here deserves to know anyway. Isn't that right Phagora?"

Phagora had been sitting there, silently watching the other two witches converse. She couldn't afford to open her big mouth here; too much was at stake for her personally. Yet when Medusa addressed her directly, she had no choice be to respond. "Yes. Everyone should know news that affects them, even if it is so momentous that some think it should be kept secret."

Triss shrugged, she supposed they were right, but she didn't want Phagora to be there either way. She would sound like a madwoman, and it would be so much easier if one of the elder witches announced it before a wide audience. They wouldn't be considered crazy, would they? “We have to have peace with the hunters, in order to save the world. That's the short explanation, anyways.” She said, staring Medusa straight in the eyes and waiting for her reaction.

Medusa blinked several times, going over Triss' words, making sure she'd heard her correctly. Once she was certain that this was no simple mistake of words she addressed her. "The short explanation?"

"I might need the long version Triss." Medusa doubted the girl's ability to deliver a premonition that might sway her towards peace. Too long had her coven lived in the constant shadow of Seren's Folly. She'd certainly afford her the opportunity to try, however.

Phagora almost fell out of her chair in shock. Peace with the hunters was implausible at this point, to say the least. And the fate of the world resting on their shoulders?

"We're listening, Triss. But this had better not be some tale you heard from the coven's old biddies."

“I was never talking to you, Phagora, was I?” Triss snapped, her eyes never falling upon Phagora. She shifted in her seat with a huff, taking her knapsack and clutching it to her chest to calm her. She knew it wouldn't be that easy, she knew Medusa would doubt her. Now she had to win over the technical head of the coven, otherwise this would never work. Lorelai could only sway so many, and while no one would rebel against the dragon, it was much safer with both leaders onboard. The picky witches could die for all she cared.

“I'm not that eloquent, but keep an open mind. Sousiel and I went on a journey to find the Aeon of Love, when we found her she allowed us to ask her a few questions.” Triss paused, taking in a steady breath. “I asked her about the big thing that was coming, the one the elders were talking about. She gave me the name Annunkai, it's a stillborn universe that craves to be whole. In an effort to achieve that, it will consume our world. I saw it, all of it. The blood, the monsters.”

Medsua paled slightly. Annunkai, that was an old word, for an old nightmare. If an Aeon had given Triss a vision, a warning, then she could hardly ignore it. "Go on, Triss." She said weakly.

"Annunkai, Annunkai... the name isn't familiar to me." Phagora shifted slightly in her seat. "But I know someone who might know more. Even Lorelai Von'Strauss, with all her might and depravity, is not privy to all the secrets of the Pit. However, my father is. If there is any entity who might have information, it would be him."

Triss clenched her jaw, letting the images of doomsday fade before she shifted her attention to Phagora. For once, her eyes weren't hard, she actually cared about what the woman had to say. It would have to wait just a bit longer though, for now she had to finish. “She said it could be stopped, if we show it our will to live is stronger. The Caretaker said the hunters and witches could beat it back, together. The elders can seal them away. That can't happen if we don't find peace with the hunters. Then, we can all go back to murdering each other if we feel like it.” She chuckled, knuckles white as she held her bag.

"This... certainly bears some thought." She turned to Phagora. "Phagora, could you retrieve Elizabeth and Sousiel? They need to hear this first."

"So, we just need to end centuries of hatred, then hold off annihilation. Sounds simple enough." Phagora left to bring the other two to Medusa's chambers, wondering what they would think of this particular revelation.

Triss watched Phagora leave, before slowly turning back to Medusa. “I don't know how we'll accomplish it, Medusa, but we have to try. It may be a lot to get past, but if we don't we'll all be dead. Those monsters, I can't describe how horrific they were...”

"I'm sure." Medusa stood and moved to her tool cabinet. "The horrors of the outerdark, twisted things that never were, that never could be. I don't envy you Triss, but I thank you for your service."

She turned back towards her desk with a strange basin in hand. It was cast of a strange silvery material, and strange phantasms danced across its surface like half remembered dreams or nightmares. She set it carefully on the desk between them. "This, Triss, is a Dreamer's Lexicon."

A whispered word brought the basin to life. The phantasms glowed purple as the inside filled with a luminescent milky fluid. "I'd like you to place your vision in here, so that none can deny its veracity. Can you do that for me?"

Triss stared at the fluid, watching it fill up the bowl. She glanced up at Medusa, shrugging. “Sure, I can do that. Better to share the pain than keep it inside, right?” She laughed, trying to avoid the fact that she didn't know how to use a Dreamer’s Lexicon.

Ettien sighed, sliding up Triss’ arm and fishing through her hair to find her ear. “Think of the vision, then put your finger in it, it should suck it out of you.” He told her, whispering the advice so Medusa wouldn't know. The poor child was a lost cause, and was lucky to have a Fae around.

Triss gave Ettien no thanks, mustering up every image that had come along with the vision. She dipped her finger into the milky substance. It was cold to the touch, but it felt unlike any liquid she had ever touched. It was similar to a gas, licking her skin. Triss was about to pull out, when the liquid did its work. With a gasp, Triss found the vision flooding out of her. It was like it had been sucked through a straw, flowing from her mind to the bowl. She drew up the images, still there, but ghosts of their once vivid selves. She didn't know if she was supposed to be disappointed or glad, but she looked at Medusa with a smile. “Okay, that's done.”

At that moment, Phagora returned, with Liz, Sousiel, and Bo all in tow. "You should hear the details from Triss. She's the one who had the vision, after all."

"Oh... are we really going to do that whole 'save the world' thing?" Sousiel smirked as she strode into the room, finding an empty wall to lean against. "Sometimes I think you guys really want to doom me to live forever."

She sighed. "Fair enough, I've heard the details, although Elizabeth probably needs filled in."

"Yes, Sousiel, we don't particularly like it when the world threatens to end. Medusa frowned at the demon, who shrugged unapologetically.

She pushed the Lexicon towards Elizabeth. "Let's save a little time and have you recieve the vision directly. Dip your finger in here if you would."

Elizabeth strode into the room, Bo at her side. The others had tried to come along, but she hadn't want the room to be crowded. Bo had insisted, because he claimed he was the smartest of the group and he deserved to know all the details. She smiled at Medusa and Triss, before straightening herself and moving onto business.

“So! The end of the world, I suppose we can add that to my to-do list.” Elizabeth stated nonchalantly. She knew she would probably worry about this when she wasn't under so many eyes, but for now she strode tall with controlled movements. Her finger reached out and dipped itself into the milky liquid. For a moment, she stood waiting, then she was pulled into the vision.

It started out in a grassy field, children playing with their porcelain dolls and chasing each other without a care in the world. There was a shadow, drawing Elizabeth's eyes to the sky above. She stood, unable to move or to help as the seam split open. Monsters fell from the hole, beastial and alien. They painted the ground red, feeding on everything. Everything was taken, and before long she stood in a plane where nothing was left. Time didn't carry on, there was no breeze, or color. It was all empty.

Elizabeth pulled her finger out of the substance, brows creased. Though she worried about this happening, she found herself incapable of fearing it. It made her feel sick, that she couldn't find the capacity within herself. She strode over to Bo, and the cat placed a paw on her shoulder in comfort. “How will we find peace, Medusa? The only idea I have is to show them.”

"And they won't exactly accept an engraved invitation." Phagora paused for a second in thought. "Short of enslaving their minds, I can't come up with anything. And I doubt that's a suitable solution." The witch shook a blonde ringlet out of her eyes. "Elizabeth, do you have any way of contacting them? Since you were a former hunter and all?"

“I could contact them, yes. I have plenty of contacts that I could write to or meet with. The hard part is getting them to respond, or not having them kill me.” Elizabeth shrugged. “I could always write to my dad, see if he'll meet with me in private. He may have disowned me by now, but you never know. If I know him, he wouldn't trust a rumor until he saw me himself.”

"Hmm... Isn't the hunt being lead by Robert Flint and the Digard boys?" Medusa thought for a moment. "Perhaps, if their primary quarrel is wit-"

"I swear to something Medusa, if you finish that sentance, I'll give you a dick," Sousiel glared at the woman. "Just to rip it off."

"Oh hush demon." Medusa seemed largely unconcerned about the hellspawn's threat. "If we can sacrifice Lorelai for peace, and save the world therein, don't we have a responsibility to consider it?"

"We do, Medusa." Phagora's face turned firm. "But we also have a responsibility to consider what the hunters will do to Lorelai. I see her lashed to a silver cross while lavender is poured down her throat. We may need the hunters to stop this threat. But we'll need Lorelai too, and they'll kill her long before we can explain ourselves. No. Deal. There has to be a better option."

Suddenly, an idea came to Phagora, but she didn't like it. She really didn't like it, yet it seemed like her best card to play. "Medusa, is that Dreamer's Lexicon portable?"

"Of course, the whole idea was to arrange the agreement before Lorelai returns." Medusa sighed. "We show them the vision, and promise Lorelai to them in exchange for mutual aid."

Elizabeth moved to lunge at Medusa, hand finding the whip at her side, but Bo stopped her by placing a paw on her stomach and reminding her of what she had to lose. She cursed the fragile child in her stomach, and fell into Bo’s embrace. “She's not going to be used as a bargaining chip, Medusa. If they don't side with us once they see the vision, they won't side with us after Lorelai is theirs. They'll kill her, and go straight back to war efforts.”

Triss nodded, jumping on board with General Blondie. “Besides, Lorelai is too valuable to spend in that way. If we hand her off, one of our major assets will be slaughtered. If the hunters decided to attack after that we would have a small chance of holding our ground.”

"Lorelai and her damned cult," Medusa groaned. It was a simple matter of pragmatism. Reguardless of the tension between them she wasn't eager to see the woman executed either, but there were more things to consider. "Fine, I'll perish the thought."

She looked at Elizabeth. "But that means all of you will need to find something else to offer them, some way to calm their rage long enough for them to see what we've seen." She turned her chair towards the window. "If any of you see wisdom, come find me. Otherwise, I expect you all have work to do, no?"

"My god. I've been thinking of ways for others to contact them, but I know one I can get an audience with for sure. Mat." Phagora shuddered. "He hates my guts, but I can offer him something in exchange for showing him the vision: his father's soul. If I can get an audience with him, in front of the other hunters..."

Elizabeth drew into herself, thinking of another idea. Her mind lingered on her father, but pushing past that she found herself drawn to a couple reports she had received. A woman matching the description of her dear old pal, Ashlynn. Her mind cleared as she went to speak her part to the others. “I have a friend, her name is Ashlynn. She's a Hospitaller, and she would be a perfect contact. I'm sure she'll meet with me, if I seek council with her.” She looked around the room to see the opinions of the others. A Hospitaller would have cast influence over other hunters. Liz wondered just how well Ashlynn could fight, she was quite good at wrestling when they were children.

"Great, so we've got two, plenty more to go." Sousiel pushed off of the wall. "Seems to me like the best bet may be to spread this vision in small groups, and let the hunters figure things out. Less likely to get killed that way."

"With any luck, any who see it will start spreading the need for peace. Like a cancer it will spread, until their war collapses beneath them." Sousiel grinned. "Of course, not all prophecy bearers need to be old friends or enemies. If you all really insist on saving the world, I suppose I'm in too. Besides, forceful prophecies are a form of violation right? Sounds fun."

_{in collaboration with @SunsetRoses and @Ellion}



Elizabeth drummed on Lorelai's desk, using her hands to spark a tune that accompanied Bob's beautiful music. Butch and Beebop fought over who was leading the other in a complex -and hideously violent- waltz, and Bo sat by Elizabeth's side, clapping along to the beat. It was a slow period, nothing new was happening. This was what had sparked out of the blue, as things usually did when Liz was around the boys. She was giddy, and even the frequent tossing and turning of her stomach wasn't enough to bring her down fully.

Serrus made her way through the castle at the behest of her new mistress. Fortunately the witches she'd met had been kind, and directed her towards Elizabeth's office. She stood before the woman's door, trying to calm herself before opening it.

This was her first task as a servant, and she felt the pressure of making a good impression. She smoothed her golden locks and the feathers of her wings. With one last breath she pushed open the door. "M-ma'am? Are you E-Elizabeth?" Her voice was hesitant as she addressed the room's occupant.

The music froze as a hesitant voice filled the air. Elizabeth's eyes landed first on the woman's blond hair, before settling justly on her wings. She recoiled, before letting a sort of awe take her over. It faded away as she could feel the tension rolling off each demon in the room. They had all bristled, waiting for a sudden movement that yelled ‘attack’. They could all sense something infernal from the angel, but her pure essence hadn't yet withered away under the pressure of Lorelai's might.

Elizabeth cleared her throat, drawing their attention off of the angel reluctantly. “I'm Elizabeth, yes. It’s a pleasure. Is there anything you've sought me out for?” The introduction flowed easily, a practiced phrase.

Success so far! Serrus was giddy, a bright smile bloomed across her face. She continued in her stumbling speech, but her voice held a trace of cheer, seemly unaware of the demons in the room. "Y-yes, Mistress L-L-Lorelai wanted to see you. S-she's in her room, her leg forbids her from using the stairs."

Elizabeth was out of her chair the moment the angel brought up Lorelai. The sudden movement sent bile up the back of her throat, but she grinned through the sting in her mouth. She couldn't wait to see Lorelai, it had been too long since they had been together. She hated herself when she found a streak of doubt running through her, wondering if Lorelai could have possibly missed her.

“Thank you so much. Will you escort me to her?” Elizabeth asked hurriedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Before the Angel could answer, Elizabeth was pushing past her and running down the halls towards Lorelai's chambers, demons in tow.

Serrus barely managed to utter her assent before Liz dissappeared about the corner. She jogged to keep up with her demonic entourage, that shot her dirty looks periodically.

---

"Seriously!?" Sousiel examined Lorelai's leg. It was broken, and Sousiel was furious about that. "I brought his back in perfect condition... more or less, and he brings me you damaged!?"

Lorelai chuckled. "My foolishness is a far sight more difficult to contain Sousiel, just wrap it and give me and Liz some space, okay."

Sousiel sighed. "Fine, but I have no more regrets about any possible stretching Triss may have suffered." She quickly did as her mistress asked.

As she turned to leave, Elizabeth burst through the door, entourage in tow. She nodded at Elizabeth before ducking into her room, out of sight of the angel.

Lorelai beamed at her lover, "My word, you're even more radiant than when I left. Tell me, why would I ever agree to something that would pry me from your side for so long?" She laughed. "It must have been foolish in the extreme."

Elizabeth had prepared herself to leap into the arms of her lover. Instead, she halted a few steps away. Lorelai's leg was set and wrapped, but it was clear it had been broken. Elizabeth’s eyes softened, and she basically took a place beside Lorelai. “I've missed you so much, Lorelai.” She breathed hopelessly, reaching out a hand to grasp her dragon's.

“How did it go, love?” Elizabeth inquired. She didn't really want to know much about the nitty gritty, but she did want to ensure that Lorelai had suceeded. “I shouldn't have let you leave, life was dull without you.”

Lorelai looked at their hands, "Nope," She scooted herself laborously to sit across Elizabeth's lap. Her leg hurt, but fuck it, she hadn't waited this long to just hold hands. Once she was situated and happy, she turned her head to meet her lover's gaze. "Much better."

"It was successful, the rewards of my labor are in my vault, where they will remain until the end of time with any luck." Lorelai kissed Elizabeth softly. "'Twas a poor reward for having to leave you alone for so long. I dreamt of you constantly. Which was frustrating in the extreme, as having felt your touch, my own is no longer satisfying." She winked.

"How have you spent your days, love?" Lorelai whispered, kissing along Liz's jaw.

Elizabeth draped an arm over Lorelai's midsection, the other resting its hand in Lorelai's hair. She returned Lorelai's kisses, pulling away before her passion could build too much. They still had things to talk about, after all. It was a shame Lorelai was injured, even more so that there were so many others about.

“I'm glad the mission was fruitful, even happier that you're home. Relatively safe.” Elizabeth chuckled, trying to find a way to approach the next topic. “My days have been spent over a bucket, emptying my stomach.” She left the topic generally broad, wondering what Lorelai would think of it.

"Oh?" Lorelai frowned, and pressed the back of her hand to Liz's forhead. "You don't feel feverish to me, perhaps you ate something bad? I'm sorry, love. I'll see if I can get you something for nausea."

Elizabeth giggled, removing Lorelai's hand from her forehead and guiding it down to her stomach. “I'm afraid that's not the reason.” She stated huskily, eyelids drooping in a contented state of relaxation. She worried not about Lorelai's reaction. Things would work. “When I'm not sick to my stomach, I'm usually working on baby names.”

"Baby...names...?" But she was sterile!? How did this happen!? Wait... she had a new body now... why would she have forged herself sterile. Lorelai's face danced between apprehension and unadulterated joy. Now was a bad time for a baby, but they could have one. A baby of their own, the first addition to the family she wanted, and its veins would run with their blood.

Her trembling hand stroked Elizabeth's stomach. A miracle was happening there, and the gravity of it was awe inspiring. She turn to Liz with moist eyes. "I... I don't think I've ever been this happy. I might die."

Elizabeth found herself overworked with joy, but as she stared into the eye's of Lorelai, a small frown appeared on her face. It disappeared as quickly as it came, but it was definitely there. She tried to pass it off as a moment of weakness, looking at Lorelai's tears. In truth, she was worried. She didn't know what Lorelai would think when she found out about her other child.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to tell Lorelai, but clamped it shut seconds later. That was Elina's secret to tell, and if Lorelai wished to love that baby just as much, who was she to stop her? “You can't die, love. Ash needs his mother, just as much as the rest of us need you. Lover, friend, something in between.”

Lorelai looked panicked for a moment, "I won't die, I promise, I'll live forever. I'm going to build you a house, on a lake, a beautiful sapphire lake, and my servitors will attend to the fields, and hunt, so you can eat." Lorelai continued, her words a heartfelt promise she would never surrender. "I'll swim with the children, and warm myself in their laughter. If Triss and Sousiel are still together, I'll build them a house on the other side of the lake, and they can visit whenever they like, so long as they behave."

"You're magnificent, radiant, brilliant, and the power you hold over my heart is terrifying. Yours is the name on my lips in my darkest hours, the only goddess I pray to." Lorelai clung tightly to Elizabeth. The warmth in her chest had become unbearable, joy and love overwhelmed her. All the beautiful things she'd always wanted, and Elizabeth was bringing them to her, one by one. "I want to give you something, anything you want. Whisper your fancy, and I'll make it so."

Elizabeth smiled, bit by bit the uncertainty was picked away. In large waves it would make an appearance, but she masked it with kisses and their everlasting promises. Her heart rate increased as her love for Lorelai grew even still. If Elizabeth ever did find the thing she feared, she knew it would stem from the woman in front of her and the tight grip she had on her heart.

“I promise to keep our children safe, and love you eternally.” Liz said simply, an easy promise to keep. She had no grand words or gestures for Lorelai, but each word she spoke was filled with passion. She sealed the deal by giving Lorelai a smattering of pecks.

It gave her enough time to think of her fancy. Liz wanted Lorelai all to herself, that was true...but something else interested her as well. “I think we should go on a family vacation sometime soon. Us, the kids, Sousiel.” She smiled, hoping Lorelai would agree. “There are so many different planes to show the girls, it would be good for us...just getting away momentarily.”

"Of course! I'll take us to Sigil, in the outlands." Lorelai tucked herself into Elizabeth, her hand lazily stroking her lover's stomach. "It's a city the likes of which you wouldn't believe. It stretches on for as far as the eye can see, and then some."

"Well visit the opera house, and the museums. Their library boast the greatest combined knowledge of the other planes, we could plan our next trip from there." Lorelai kissed Elizabeth's collarbone, nipping at it playfully. "Or did you have something else in mind?"

“I'd love to go to Sigil, Lorelai.” Elizabeth confirmed, giving Lorelai a gentle squeeze and burying her further against her chest. She would make sure Lotte and Abby each got to do something they each wanted, because the Library and museums did not sound like the best time for young children. Of course, they acted much older than they were, but when she was a child all she wanted to do was eat bricks of chocolate and beat up other children with her nonlethal whip.

“There's another thing I wanted to ask you about, more of a grown-up idea.” It could have been taken as an innuendo, but Elizabeth's brow was furrowed and her lips were pressed into a thin line. “The boys were telling me about bloodsport...I found it interesting.”

"The boys were telling you about bloodsport?" Maybe the 'boys' needed beaten, baddly, until they didn't have skin anymore. Lorelai sighed, Elizabeth wouldn't appreciate that. "It's a visceral sport, to be sure. Are you interested in competing? Maybe you're more like a traditional Dragon Knight than I thought."

There was a bang on the door and a soft scream before it came flying open. Lotte let out a mixture of crying and laughing sounds and she nearly crashed head first into Lorelai. "Mom! Mom! I've missed you so much!" There were tears running down her face as she tried to pull the older witch into an even tighter and bigger hug, almost as though she was scared that the woman would vanish is she didn't hold on for dear life.

"Lotte, give her some space. Can't you tell she is hurt?" came the voice of Abby as she walked into the room. The girls had been listening outside the door, or rather, Abby had been, Lotte had been trying to keep herself from breaking in until she knew that her mother was behind the door. Abby gave Liz a strange and pointed look before going over to stand near her sister.

"Energetic as always, aren't you sweetie?" Lorelai surpressed a groan as the girl jostled her wounded leg. She lifted her into her lap, and planted a flurry of pecks on her cheeks. "I've missed you too, have you been minding Elizabeth while I've been gone?"

She turned to Abby, and reached out a hand to stroke her cheek affectionately. Abby wasn't a hugger, or a kisser, and that was a shame, but she loved the girl no less for it. "Mindful as ever, dear, and keen as a whip. I missed you too, I trust you've been well?"

Elizabeth released her hold on Lorelai, giving her up to the children she loved so much. Elizabeth had been trying to warm up to the kids, but she was usually busy with desk work and only got to spend the minimal amount of time with them. She saw Abby stare, but didn't approach the topic. It had been a long time since they had seen Lorelai, and she didn't want to ruin anything with questions.

“The children were great for me. I showed them a few different fighting stances, let them work with wooden swords. One of the soldier witches took the time to instruct them while I was busy.” Elizabeth grinned, chest puffing up with pride. She would make warriors out of them, probably long before they would start calling her ‘mom'. “Since they were both doing so good I broke into the sweets, among other things.”

"Like the brandy," said Abby, her eyes now shifting down to Liz's stomach, looking for a not quite there bump. Her voice sounded almost bored. The training was...not really her thing, but she did it because it was a useful skill that could be used later on in life.

"It was so much fun mom! I beat Abby once! Abby is really good at it, Mom, can we go back to practicing magic now? I like learning from you the best!" Lotte shifted so that her back was resting on Lor's chest, so that she now facing the rest of the room.

"Oh?," Lorelai smirked at Elizabeth, winking. "Brandy's very fitting for young ladies of your stature, in moderation of course. We don't want to end up drunks like Clarissa do we?"

"Sound's like Abby's on her way to becoming quite the dangerous lass, hmm?' Lorelai grinned at the girl, pride plain in her eyes. Swordsmanship required a disciplined mind, and a honed body. Abby had the first aplenty, and the second would come with age.

Magical training. That was a complex topic for Lorelai's heart. Sometimes she considered eating Lotte's tongue, and growing her a new one, just so she wouldn't grow up with the gift. Higher powers than her had cursed the girl with it, however. "We'll get right back to it then, love. Soon you'll have a lovely menagerie of servitors."

She sighed happily, resting her head back on Elizabeth's shoulder. This was sublime, to sit simply in bed, surrounded by family. "Elizabeth? Should we tell them?"

Elizabeth laughed, wrapping an arm around Lorelai and pulling her close. “I think they have a good understanding, but yes.” Abby wasn't very interested in hiding her gaze. The child would have to learn more about profiling, she seemed intrigued by that topic. “Will you do the honors?” Elizabeth asked, before her eyes flashed with something mischievous. “Or would you like to report your findings, Abby?”

Abby paused, thinking it over a moment. "It better be a boy," she said shortly. Although she planned on leaving the witches one day, she didn't like the idea of someone else swooping in and making her standing in this little...family less. Boys, for once, we much less threatening than girls.

"What....better be a boy Mom? Mama? " Asked Lotte, her eyes glancing over to Abby, then back to her mothers.

"Elizabeth's got a new addition to our family in the works. A sibling for both of you." Lorelai pecked Elizabeth's cheek warmly. "And, we were considering a vacation to celebrate, but that's further down the road."

Lorelai prepared herself for some questions. Girls getting girls pregnant was not something they taught you in school, or the delicacies of gender and romance. Their family wasn't 'normal' though, and the sooner she addressed these things, the better.

Elizabeth gave Abby a lopsided smile, trying to keep her mind open to the child. It was endearing to hear Lotte call her Mama, so much so that her cheeks tinted. “I hope it's a boy too. Do you guys have any ideas for names?” She grinned, hand running over her mostly flat stomach. Bo said she was inflating slowly, but Elizabeth only noticed the slight definition when she was focusing intently.

Abby gave a half shrug. "Lotte is better at naming things, she said, looking at her sister.

"Um, Sam? No...Charon? No...Um...Um... Gus? I like Gus. Or... Or... ASH! Abby, we could name him Ashton, then he could be Ash, like Ashley!" . Lotte beamed at her mothers, thinking it was the best name, that it righted everything. Unaware of the way that Abby increased her grip on the bed post.

"Hmmm... Ash is a lovely name," Lorelai winced internally. It was a tempting thought, to name the child after a departed loved one, to fill that hole in their hearts. It wouldn't work of course, and saddling her new baby with that responsibility would not be kind. "But I don't think we should expect such exalted things from our newest member, hmm?"

Elizabeth both loved and despised the name Ash. It reminded her of her childhood friend, Ashlynn. Ashlynn was one of the only girls she would hang out with, because unlike other ladies, Ashlynn wasn't afraid to wrestle with her. As far as hating it, the name Ash reminded her of Matrim slaughtering a child. The sister of her children. “Well, I do love the name Ash...but your mother is right, we don't want to put too much pressure on the baby.”

"Good. I don't think there should ever be another Ash. Can we go now?" Said Abby, looking pointedly at Lotte, then at the door. Lotte frowned, not quite ready to leave her long missed mother.

"Why don't you run along, if you're so eager Abby?" Lorelai tried her best, but the girl's refusal to display an inch of affection, and insistence that her sister behave in a certain way, sometimes irritated her. She smiled sweetly at the object of her frustration. "I'll see you in the morning, and Lotte will be fine sleeping with us tonight if she'd like."

"Lotte?" said Abby, although in a question, it can out much more as a demand.

Lotte looked from her sister to her mother and back again, biting her lip. "Maybe... I'll...go with...Abby now and come back in a little to you mom? Is that okay?"

Abby's lips thinned slightly, not liking the out come, but not willing to make a scene either.

"That's fine, of course, but do hurry back." Lorelai kissed Lotte's cheek before setting her gently on the floor. "I've missed my cuddle buddy."

"Goodnight Abby." Lorelai smiled at the girl. Maybe someday she'd warm up to her, but tonight wasn't going to be it. "Please try to send your sister back with pajamas if you would."

"....Of course," she said, although she was already rehearsing her speech to Lotte as to why they should let the 'mommies' have 'mommy time'. " Good night," with that she took Lotte's arm and drug her off to some other part of the castle.